Unit 1:Discussion: Inventions/Railroad (Years 6&7)

[viola]

Railroads...steam engines...trains.

Inventions, creations: rather a huge revolutionary development for the muggles and the biggest stepping stone of their times. Bigger than the broom for witches, or even probably floo powder. Trains were a symbol of progress, and the railroad itself a way of getting someplace faster than ever before at a less expensive price, and in comfort. It was an incredible achievement for the muggles...one of the many inventions they had been discussing in the first quarter of the term.

Annemarie sat at her desk, looking through a scrapbook filled with still photos of her fellow sisters and the old school that she had come to Hogwarts from. She sighed, smiling slightly and remembering the times she had had at St. Catherine's. It was never as eventful as her times here in Hogwarts, but she liked it all the same. It was quiet, peaceful, and there were never any men. Annemarie had found that as an added bonus...why, was for her memories only. Her very lonely, and hurtful memories...

Snapping out of her thoughts of the days she had spent in Hogwarts, she looked up, smiling and greeting the students that waddled in left and right. Since this wasn't the first class they had had that quarter, they knew exactly where there assigned seats were. If they didn't sit in the right seats, as she had warned them...there would be consequences. So far, no one had tried her patience. "Hello," she said as they started to enter, waving her wand leisurely and writing on the board behind her what they'd be going over that day as always.

Railroads/Steam engines/Trains

Now, hopefully, it'd be a good class.

[cronon]

Ah, Muggle Studies. Alexander did really excellent in this class, and yet he wasn't ever too sure about how much he actually liked it. The professor was a bit out there with some of her rules sometimes, and her lessons were a bit dry at others. Had he heard right that the woman was a former nun-in-training? He wondered what had happened for her to quit a saintly life to come to Hogwarts of all places? Had she had enough of the Muggle world? He didn't know but at the same time, he really found himself interested. However, Alexander doubted that was something you asked a woman, let alone a professor.

Walking into the classroom, he sighed frustrated like as he remembered where his assigned seat was. Assigned seats?? He was seventeen years old! What in bloody....never mind, he shook his head. He sat next to a Ravenclaw girl named Angelique and next to her, was Felicity. So....Alexander supposed it wasn't all that bad. Walking over to his seat, he smiled and nodded his head back. "Good day, professor..." he said before sitting down in his seat. van Aller definitely wasn't one of his favorites, but he didn't dislike her either....

However, he disliked the assigned seats....that was annoying.

[Felicity Hjort]

Second in the class, which wasn't a big deal, but why did she have to be second in the class with the newspaper advisor? The paper wasn't even running yet this year due to difficulties and she was just glad van Aller had yet to mention the loss of points or the paper to the blonde yet that year. It was nice knowing she hadn't been any center of attention yet, especially in van Aller's class. Though she did like the professor, she still wasn't fond of the amount of trouble she'd found herself in last spring with the formidable woman.

Sitting in her assigned seat, first row, as for to the right of the room from the door as possible, the blonde plopped down, letting her still ink-stained bag fall, and glanced up at the board behind the older woman.

"Hello Professor," she managed to get out a cheerful greeting before pulling out her notes and a pen. After having broken one ink bottle all ready that year, and having lost another, she'd had to borrow a regular muggle pen from someone in her House. Glancing down the row, she smiled at Alexander.

"Hi," she greeted her friend with a big smile. It was nice having a class with him this year, it definitely took a load off in the class, though it was still a struggle to not be reminded of what she'd done to her House. They'd been not far behind Ravenclaw, and then with the loss of points she'd taken because of her refusal to remove a question from the castle walls, Gryffindor had to suffer. Was it fair? No. Did it matter? Not really. Had her question been answered? She was still waiting.

[Tristan Howard]

Yeah! Muggle Studies! Yeah! Yeah!

Not.

Muggle Studies was WAY TOO easy for Tristan. Not sure why, and to THIS DAY he still doesn't know why half the stuff he grew up with Muggle equipment, and he is PUREBLOOD! Oh well, it was his last year at that house. Thank Merlin. No more Aunt Yolanda. But Muggle Studies should be a piece of cake for the NEWTs Exams. He was already walking towards the class, he forgot what floor it was on, and then remebered it was on the Third Floor. Upon arriving in, he made it to the classroom to find out he was the third student in there.

Alex, from Hufflepuff, and his Prefect Companion of the Year, Felicity! "What up, Alex?" he told Alex and then went to Felicity and raised a hand to give her a hi-five, "What's up, Felicity!?" he said. Once she did or didn't give him a hi-five, he went to his assigned seat.

"Heh, Seat #9..." he said as he dropped his bag on the ground and sat in his seat waiting.

"So, Professor Aller.. How was your summer?" he asked with a big grin.

[viola]

Annemarie watched with delight as some of her most studious students walked in, all of which were quite pepper or at least seemed to be in high spirits. Mr. Cronon came in nodding his head and bidding her a good day, and van Aller smiled and did the same. “Ah, yes. It’s a doable one for sure. How are your classes progressing, Mr. Cronon?” she asked casually, not really sure why she asked, for he wasn’t even in her own house. But she did all the same.

Felicity Hjort was the next to walk in and Annemarie had to hold her gaze steady as she tried not to furrow her brow. The girl wasn’t one of her favorites, disrespectful at times and then at others one of the most respectful girls she knew. Annemarie couldn’t handle the back and forth contradictions. It was amazing the girl had held together the paper as long as she did without an advisor…and then again, the paper wasn’t even up and running that year so far. Annemarie sighed, and forced a smile. “Miss Hjort, so glad to see you today.” She said her greeting at the same time she was almost disappointed in the girl; definitely not ambitious or determined enough in aspects that really mattered like respect. If the girl had as much energy for respecting and getting her work done properly as she did when she had graphitized the school Annemarie knew she’d get somewhere in life rather than where she was.

Then again, she was dating a Ravenclaw, and one particular Ravenclaw that knew just about as much about respect as Felicity seemed to know. That explained a lot…Annemarie would know from her younger years and associating herself with such Ravens. She shook the thoughts from her mind not wanting to remember her own experiences at Hogwarts. Done and over with…now she was the professor; not the student.

Tristan Howard walked in next and was as lively as ever. Professor van Aller wasn’t sure she had ever seen the boy unenthused about life. It brought a smirk to the Slytherin Head of House’s face and she shook her head, trying her hardest not to roll her eyes in amusement. “That’s right, Mr. Howard. I’m so glad you remember the seat you reside in,” she jested with the boy, knowing that it could be taken rather rudely. However, she wasn’t being rude, or disrespectful in her opinion. She was trying to lighten up or whatever it was called that the students wanted her to do. Wasn’t joking around one way of doing that?

“My summer went rather well and pleasingly uneventful, Mr. Howard. Thank you for asking,” she smiled genuinely, almost as if she were shocked the boy would ask of her such a thing. Maybe not everyone hated her guts that badly…however, he could have just been being very respectful. Very nice indeed, and that was the type of attitude that would get the young Gryffindor far. Again, van Aller’s eyes briefly glanced at Miss Hjort. She could definitely learn a thing or two from her Prefect companion.

[Felicity Hjort]

Pulling her notes and ink from her bag, Felicity heard Tristan come in and smiled. He was always so cheerful, it was amazing in a way. And after he greeted Alexander, as Alex, Felicity flinched slightly for her friend. She'd made the mistake of doing that once before, it hadn't gone well and since then she'd called him Alexander, as he liked. It was very prestigious sounding and it fit him well. Turning around in her seat a bit to face Tristan, she smiled at him and shook her blonde locks. There wasn't really anything "up" with her. Things were well.

Returning his high-five, almost afraid of actually missing his hand and getting his head instead since he continued on his way to the desk he was assigned, she giggled lightly. Likely he was the only one who would ask such a formidable woman how her summer went. Pleasingly uneventful? Did she mean because there was nothing like what happened in January? Was she even at the school in January?

[Guy Styles]

Muggles. They were completely fascinating in a strange sort of way. It was weird to think of a world without magic. He guessed it would be different if you never knew about magic, but he couldn’t stand the idea of going from living life with magic to living without it. His mother had been a muggle born and his father a pureblood wizard, so he had grown up in the wizarding world and the wizarding world alone. Sure they had ventured into the muggle world often, but it was in the wizarding community that they resided. All of these reasons were why Guy had decided to take muggle studies. He wanted to understand them, because they were interesting. He found it almost charming how muggles were unaware of the magic that surrounded them everyday.

Guy clicked his tounge piercing stud lightly against his teeth as he walked into the classroom to see it somewhat filled. He grinned sheepishly at Professor van Aller. He got along fairly well with the woman, having no troubles with her in the previous year. At first he found it weird that the Slytherin head of house would teach muggle studies, but in this day and age it wasn’t new. These days old walls were being crumbled and new ones build instead. He took a seat in the place assigned for him and pulled some parchment and ink out of his bag, ready for the discussion ahead.

[cronon]

As Professor van Aller asked of Alexander how his classes were progressing, he had a hard time restraining his eyebrow from rising. Did she really care how his classes were going? And if so…why? “They’re going…well,” he commented back, glad to hear Felicity’s voice greeting him as she came into the class and sat in the seat over from him in his row. He wished that the two of them sat together, rather than with someone in between them. Alexander really didn’t know Angelique and would have rather sat by someone he did know.

Tristan came in next and seemed very…excited?…about Muggle Studies that day. This time, Alexander couldn’t help but raise his eyebrow, and it twitch slightly when Tristan greeted him as ‘Alex’ rather than his whole name. Correcting him right then, however, would have been inappropriate, especially with the professor then speaking up and talking with the other Gryffindor. Alexander just shook his head and internally grumbled to himself. It’s not Alex…it’s Alexander…

[angeliquecane]

She would never admit this to anyone but Angel loved the first day of classes. That probably made her a big nerd but she didn't care classes were fun, learning new things to make her a better witch well that was always worth it. So she walked into the muggle studies classroom ready and willing to learn. Entering she looked around for a prime place to sit but then she had to remember that this class called for assigned seats. She found hers and took up the spot immediately it did good because she was pretty much in the font anyway which, is just where she wanted to be.

Sitting she placed her bag down on the ground next to her before looking up and smiling at the professor. Then she opened the bag taking out what she'd need for today's lesson which were her wand, parchment, text, and quill. Yes that too made her predictable, she was always prepared but that didn't bother her one bit. Watching the board she read what they would be learning that day. Sounded good so far muggles did find interesting way to get around without magic.

[Felicity Hjort]

The catch in Alexander's voice when he answered her, made Felicity peer curiously at him, but she couldn't for long, for Angelique joined them. It would have been awfully odd to peer at the boy from across the mini-table made from desk. Angelique as a nice girl as far as she could tell, but she would've liked to have sat next to her friend. However, she thought it might be better that she wasn't. After all, she would've likely been passing him notes throughout the course of the lesson, and that would've just gotten her in more trouble than really necessary.

Smiling briefly at Angelique, Felicity returned to shuffling her notes around, waiting for the class to begin. Maybe Angelique was accustomed to passing notes? It sure made time go by faster.

[angeliquecane]

Angel was glad that Felicity didn't mind her sitting there. She had been talking to another boy one that she didn't really know but they seemed to be buddy buddy. Now she felt bad like she was interrupting something but Felicity hadn't said anything Angel was the kind of girl that would have moved over. Well perhaps...Angel didn't want to look like a goof or anything. It was just that she knew what it was like to want to converse with a friend even though she didn't really have any at the moment. Turning to her Angel just did it.

"Hey I didn't mean to interrupt if you two would like to sit next to each other I have not problem moving you just say the word." She was prepared to get up if need be.

[viola]

Annemarie narrowed her gaze at a particular girl from the front row. As Annemarie’s writer had mentioned, this was not the first day, and therefore, the students knew what they were supposed to do, and where they were supposed to do it. That meant what Miss. Cane was suggesting was not only infuriating, but also only further proved Annemarie’s theory that none of the older students were respectful of the rules within their professor’s classes, nor did they pay attention to what was truly going on around them.

“That’s a great suggestion, Miss Cane…” Annemarie said sternly. “But if you have been here since the beginning of the term, and participating in the classes that we’ve had, you would know that is against what I’ve set up, and you would also understand why I have set things up the way I have. Therefore, your house will be subtracted five points for even suggesting it.” Annemarie had no patience for those who did not pay attention, or wanted to alter the settings of her classroom.

And on that note, Annemarie was ready to get the class started. Everyone was obviously getting anxious to get started. She took the role of who came in again, and stood up from behind her desk. “All right, everyone. I’m glad to see you again. As we’ve been discussing, inventions of the many eras have been incredibly important to the development in Muggle living. What we’re discussing today are the railroads and the steam engines or trains that cross them. Can anyone tell me from the readings that were given out and assigned for today’s class, when exactly the first railroads were constructed?”

-5 Ravenclaw

((CLASS HAS STARTED -- If you have yet to enter, please state that you have already been in the class before it was started. Otherwise you will be counted as late. Thank you.))

[angeliquecane]

Alexis glanced up forgetting all about the set up. She had been trying to be nice and now it just cost them points. She was angered but said nothing just took her things out so that she could take notes. Perfect start to the day she already got into trouble she would have prefered detention than points being docked. Detention only cost her not her whole house. She had to try and make this up. When the teacher asked about when the first railroads were constructed she thought that maybe if she gave the right answer the teacher would at least give her some points back.

Now she had to think on it, try to remember what she had read before class, usually she was good at memorizing small facts but she had been so distracted the last few moments that her brain was having trouble functioning. It started to come to her but then she got several dates. Raising her hand anyway-because she needed to make things right- she said "well there were railways dating back to as for a the early seventeen hundreds about 1720 in France. Then one in England I think it was around 1764 and major railroad contruction I think the Granite Railway in Mass. was constructed around 1826." She hoped that would be enough or at least something to put her back into good graces once more. It wasn't like her to get into trouble.

[Lucas Smith]

Transportation was always an interesting thing to learn about. How Muggles got around without Apparation by train, plane or car was not so foreign to Lucas, but it was still interesting. There were plenty of things he didn't know about them and this class would probably prove to be informative.

The Raven's notebook sat open in front of him with the title written across the top of the page. Lucas sat in his assigned seat, not really liking that idea a whole bunch, but dealing with it. He took down notes as the discussion progressed, nervous about voicing his opinion. He knew about cars and how they worked, but not so much about trains and railroads.

[viola]

Class is over.

House points:

Reading the Rules:
+5 Cronon & Hjort
-5 Cane, Styles, Smith, & Howard

Participation:
+1 Cane

Misc...

-5 Cane/attempting to ruin order in the classroom.

Totals:

Gryffindor: -5
Ravenclaw: -14
Hufflepuff: +5
Slytherin:0

Suggestion: For next class, and every other, please read the rules before posting in classes.