seven.

[thraxios]

Welcome back to Hogwarts. I hope your summer holidays were productive, perhaps even enjoyable.

For those first-years who are unaware, I am Professor Thraxios, and I will be teaching your History of Magic classes. Your older siblings may have told you about Professor Binns' classes, which were primarily lecture-based and focused on the memorization of dates. This is not the case for my classes. You are expected to be both literate and thoughtful, and ideally rather talkative. Short lectures will be given through use of a chalkboard, but class discussion will make up much of the class. Participation is expected; it is hoped that through the exchange of ideas, your understanding of how history affects the present is improved.

All students enrolled in my courses should have the first two chapters of their textbook read in preparation for the first class. Please also prepare six-inch essay responses to specific discussion questions for your year, listed below:

First years: Describe one event in magical history that has previously interested you. For Muggle-born students, please select one of the events mentioned in the first two chapters of the textbook or an example from Muggle history that involves mention of magic. Please send me an owl if you have difficulty completing this assignment; I am always willing to assist Muggle-born students with the adjustment to wizarding history.

Second years: At the end of your first year, you were asked to visit or read about a specific location from the history we studied last year. Please report on what you learned about the location you chose.

Third years: History is as much a narrative as a collection of facts. Choose a controversial event in magical history and explain some of the opposing opinions about it.

Fourth years: The private sale of magical artifacts is an ongoing controversy among historians within the wizarding world. Write an opinion-based essay with supporting evidence.

Fifth years: Examine a short primary-source document relating to Muggle interaction, such as a diary entry, letter, short treatise, or bill of sale. (A list of appropriate choices and where they can be found was enclosed with your school book list.) Explain how Muggle-wizard relations of the time period affected the document.

Sixth years: Consider a recent event or issue within the wizarding world. Explain your chosen subject and provide an opinion regarding one or more aspects of it. Note that the Quidditch World Cup is not an acceptable subject.

Seventh years: Write a short explanation of the event or events you are interested in studying as part of your dissertation and their appeal for you.

O.W.L. students are reminded that their History of Magic coursework will incorporate an international view of magical philosophy in addition to an examination of the historical record. During the first few weeks of class, beginning research into a culture's approach to magic usage is recommended. For those without a specific cultural interest, I recommend investigating the basics of Greek, Roman, Chinese, or Egyptian magical philosophy. Note that British approaches to magic are not an appropriate selection. We will be using the lessons we take from other magical philosophies to better understand the philosophy that drives your lessons here at Hogwarts.

N.E.W.T. students should already be aware that the bulk of their work this year will be in service of a short dissertation on a specific period in magical history or historical event. Please come to class with some ideas in mind. In the coming weeks, we will meet privately to decide upon your official topic and plan your research for the coming months.

As always, I look forward to seeing you in class, and I wish the Ravenclaw quidditch team luck in their first match of the year.

Comments

[little_shit]

[Can't you just HEAR the eye roll?]

For the record I still don't believe the Quiddich World Cup is an unacceptable subject. There are loads of scandals and other important world issues related to it. Not to mention the fact that it's one of the most important events of the year. One single argument on the pitch nearly caused an international incident a few years back.

[thraxios]

An admirable defense of the subject, Mister Bond. If you look a bit further up, you'll find that Miss Crocker came to a similar conclusion. With that in mind, however, essays on important quidditch matches have historically focused on minutiae primarily related to sports rather than to general history. As such, I have chosen to disallow it as a subject for this particular assignment.

I should, however, be very interested in reading a dissertation on the subject next year, should you choose to try for a N.E.W.T. in the class.

[little_shit]

You're still eliminating a topic on the basis of how they've historically been written. Personally I find the subjects of the histories of the equipment have been overdone. Everyone knows the difference between a quaffle and a snitch and that in 1883 the hoops were made a regulation size. That's a boring essay topic, anyway. The real history is in the games, themselves, and the players who compete in them. Even the referees would be more interesting topics than "munitiae."

[thraxios]

I'm eliminating a topic on the basis of how it has historically been written about by students in my classes. There is at least one decent published history of quidditch that I know of, and no doubt several more of which I am unaware.

Out of curiosity, is this displeasure born of a desire to write about this year's Quidditch World Cup, or is it an argument based in principle?

[little_shit]

Can't it be both?

[He just wants to be difficult, what? The game's tomorrow and he's got a lot of adrenaline worked up]

[thraxios]

It can.

Unfortunately, Mister Bond, I cannot change my rules for you alone. While I believe I would be assured of an excellent essay on the subject from you, I know from experience that I would likely not be able to say the same for your classmates. Are there any other subjects you're interested in writing about?

[little_shit]

[No.

He sighs]

I'll have to think on it. [But he's got the match to think about first. GO SLYTHERIN!]

[thraxios]

If you want to discuss any other subjects, I'd be happy to talk with you about them. I wouldn't recommend losing too much sleep over your essay topic, though; it's only the first of the year.

[Excuse you, GO RAVENCLAW.]

[little_shit]

Oh don't worry, Professor, I won't lose any sleep at all. I've got other things to concern myself with.

[DOWN WITH RAVENCLAW]