Astronomy :: Lesson One

Helen walked into the Astronomy classroom, gracefully. This was going to be her first class and she couldn't help but be excited. She stood in the centre of the classroom and waited patiently for the students to arrive. She smiled at every friendly face. As they started coming in, she spoke up, "Please take your seats and we can begin the lesson."

Ella walked up to the Astronomy classroom. It was a fairly long walk so she was tired by the time she made it. She noticed there was a new professor and she got a little uneasy but no doubt this was going to be fun. She always thought Astronomy was great and hoped this proved her right. She her the professor tell them,"Please take your seats and we can begin the lesson."

Scrambling to about the middle of the room, she sat down and saved a seat for Lucy,Wade and Ellie. She then sat and waited with having the occasional glance around.

As soon as Kim entered the room, she was surprised to see a new professor. This time, professor Juarez was not around, instead it was a woman. Kim tried to guess what happened to her past Astronomy professor but all she can think of for now was that he was taken by aliens to another planet. This thought made her smile a bit.

"Please take your seats and we can begin the lesson," the professor told them. Kim doesn't want to wish for her to be strict since she already have two professors. She hoped that this one will be considerate.

She wanted to take a seat near her fellow Sytherin, Ellie Fontayne but she soon realized that she may be saved some of the chairs near her for other people. Kim, then, went in front of the room and sat down.

James finally reached the classroom, exhausted after mounting the countless steps of the Astronomy Tower. As many seats were already taken, he headed to the front of the classroom and took one beside Kim. "Hi" he greeted her, as well as Shah who was on the Slytherin's other side.

Everyone looked excited to discover what the new professor was like, as Professor Juarez had mysteriously disappeared after just one lesson. No one seemed to know the actual reasons of his departure, and many versions had been spreading around the Castle like wildfire. Some claimed that he had been kidnapped by dark wizards while others that he was on some sort of secret mission involving the Ministry of Magic. Whatever it was, James regretted to see the kind teacher leave, and hoped that Professor Adela would prove just as nice.

Helen smiled at all the students. She was glad there were students from almost all the houses, except Hufflepuff.

"Good morning, students." Helen greeted them. "I am your new Astronomy Professor, Helen Adela." She looked around. The classroom was dark, due to the posters stuck around. The posters said, 'Home of the Stargazers! Astronomy'. Of course, she'd made them, to make the classrooms seem more interesting.

"Welcome to Astronomy. Home of the stargazers!" Helen said. "In order to make this class interesting for all of yourselves, you need to accept the subject." She paused. "Today we are going to be talking about constellations." Helen looked around. "How many of you know what a constellation is? Please raise your hand and answer."


OOC: Those of you who arrive late to the class, don't make a post for your arrival. Just say you have been in class all along.

Suddenly, someone sat beside her, smiling. Kim was surprised to see Shah taking a seat next to her. "Hello, Kim!" she said. Kim gave Shah the smile back. "Hello Shah. Nice to see you today." After not more than five seconds, a boy's voice entered their conversation. "Hi" he greeted her, as well as Shah who was on the Slytherin's other side. "Hi James. Nice to see you today, too."

Seeing that everybody was already there, their professor began the lesson by introducing their first lesson under her, constellation. "How many of you know what a constellation is? Please raise your hand and answer," she asked. Kim is pretty familiar with constellation, considering that muggles also know about them. She immediately raised her hand, confident that she can answer the given question.

Helen smiled at the Slytherin girl. "Yes, go on. Your name?"

"It's Kim Frey, professor," she answered as gently as she can.

Helen nodded and smiled again. "What do you know about constellations, Miss Frey?"

"Well professor, I think that constellations are group of stars that form a pattern or a familiar thing. They are often named according to their shape, pattern or figure," Kim answered confidently.

"Well said, Miss Frey. Five points to Slytherin." Helen replied. "Today were are going to list a few constellations and learn any two. These constellations are not patterns of the stars, but are patterns of the sky." She explained. "Now I am going to list ten constellations and you all get to choose which two you would like to learn."

Helen pointed her wand at the blackboard and the following appeared:

Andromeda
Caelum
Cancer
Dorado
Hydra
Lyra
Perseus
Phoenix
Serpens
Vela

Helen looked at the students. "Of course, you all don't know about them. But have a go. Pick the one that sounds interesting to you. Each of you can raise your hand and tell me the two constellations you would like to learn. The two constellations with the highest votes, are the constellations we will be learning today." Helen smiled warmly at the students. She hoped she wasn't boring them as most of them seemed silent.

Professor Adela spoke up and said, "Today were are going to list a few constellations and learn any two. These constellations are not patterns of the stars, but are patterns of the sky.Now I am going to list ten constellations and you all get to choose which two you would like to learn."

Professor Adela made names appear on the board:

Andromeda
Caelum
Cancer
Dorado
Hydra
Lyra
Perseus
Phoenix
Serpens
Vela

"Of course, you all don't know about them. But have a go. Pick the one that sounds interesting to you. Each of you can raise your hand and tell me the two constellations you would like to learn. The two constellations with the highest votes, are the constellations we will be learning today."

Ella looks at the board and smiles. Slowly, her hand rises in the air. She knew what constellations she wanted to learn about. This class was going to be great.

Helen nodded and grinned at the other Slytherin girl. "Yes? Tell me your name and what constellation you would like to learn about."

Professor Adela nodded towards Ella. "Yes? Tell me your name and what constellation you would like to learn about."

"My name is Ella Fontayne, Professor. I'd be interested in earning about Serpens and Hydra." Ella replied in the same soft French accent that everyone always complimented on. She chose Serpens because it reminds her of snakes and her favorite spell 'serpensortia' and Hydra because she remembers hearing the name from somewhere and it reminds her of water.

Helen grinned at Ella. "A good choice miss Fontayne." A Gryffindor girl raised her hand. "Yes dear? Your name and the constellations you prefer?"

Helen smiled at the Gryffindor girl. "A good choice as well Miss Hazel."

AS Professor Adela's list of constellations appeared on the board, Wade couldn't help but smile at the sight of the first constellation on the list.


As he kept reading the names of the other constellations, he realized that most of them he had only heard of as names; mostly in his family.


Raising his hand and waiting for approval to speak, Wade said "I'm Wade Malfoy Professor, and I would like to learn about Andromeda, because that's my Aunt's name, and my cousin's middle name." he said, glancing at Lucy, and smirking mischievously.
"And also, my other one would be Perseus, because I think it sounds pretty cool."
He glanced at Shah and winked, happy that they had chosen the same constellations.

A list of constellations appeared on the board and Lucy sank into her seat. The name of her mother, and also the middle name that she had always tried to keep hidden, was the first on the list.



Shah raised her hand and asked to learn about Andromeda and Perseus, much to Lucy's dismay.
A few seconds later, Wade also raised his hand.
"I'm Wade Malfoy Professor," he began "and I would like to learn about Andromeda, because that's my Aunt's name, and my cousin's middle name." he glanced at Lucy, a mischievousness smirk on his face. Lucy buried her face on her sweater, trying to seem indifferent, but it was clearly not working; she wasn't able to hear the rest of Wade's suggestion.

Helen smiled at the Slytherin boy. "Good choice Mr. Malfoy." So she counted the votes: Andromeda (2), Perseus (2), Serpens (1), Hydra (1).

"Anybody else?" Helen looked around. "What do you choose Miss Frey? And you both?" Helen nodded at the Ravenclaw boy and the other Slytherin girl.

Everybody started to tell the professor what constellation they would like to talk about. Kim thought of it for a moment when suddenly, the professor was eager to know. "What do you choose Miss Frey?" "Uhm, I think I prefer to have Pheonix and Serpens professor." She chose to have Pheonix, remembering the time when Wade told her that only Pheonix's tears can cure a Basilisk's venom and Serpens, since it is the symbol of her house, which is Slytherin.

Helen nodded at Kim's choice. So they had 2 Serpens, 2 Perseus, 2 Andromeda, 1 Hydra and 1 Phoenix. "Is that all? Does anybody else want to vote?"