Astronomy would forever be one of her favourite and most enjoyable subjects! If Kittika hadn’t her heart set on a career in Cursebreaking, she would have surely chosen the path of an Astronomer. It was that fondness for the subject that led her to be heading to the Astronomy Tower a little too eagerly.

“I’m a little disappointed that the lesson isn’t being held at the usual time. Doesn’t matter though, I’m sure whatever the topic is we’ll ace it.” The words were directed to Dio with whom she was walking beside. The night sky often made her more than happy to be alive to witness such a wonder. Upon arrival at the Tower, of course the first thing the Ravenclaw did was to survey the layout of the place. Needless to say she promptly fell in love with the way the stars on the wall were shimmering.

“Hi, Professor! Good afternoon.” Professor Burbage received a wide smile that displayed Kritti’s dimples. Then she led the way towards the tables, picking one at random. “I’m in love with that,’’ she whispered to Dio, nodding towards the shimmery stars.

Maddox made a point of coming to every Astronomy class. Not like he was missing any of his other classes, either, but he had never met a ghost before coming to the school. They're not a very typical thing to come across, even for wizards, but Hogwarts was truly crawling with them—and having one as a professor was not something he was going to miss out on. He tended to examine Professor Burbage every time he came to class, as if taking in as much visual information about her as he could would help him glean some insight into the nature of the universe.

Today was no different.

"Hello," he said as he entered the Astronomy classroom, staring up at her a bit longer than was natural as he passed, before breaking to find a seat at an empty table. He did vaguely wonder why they were having class in the day, but wasn't actually all that interested enough to think about it too long. The stars adorning the wall probably had something to do with it.

The nice thing about being in the Ravenclaw towers is the trip to Astronomy lessons was short. So Dio could take his time with getting ready. His sisters likely already there or following him at a distance. He also felt confident in the subject, thanks to Apapa with their nightly stargazing. It was comforting as he entered the classroom, despite it not being at night.

Dio smiled, "You know it." He looked to see Kritti's boyfriend was absent once again. "Is Justus meeting up with us later?" Since, he had a knack for being extremely late to the party as of late. He tried to not let his enthusiasm show with being by her side without him there for once.

"Hello Professor," Dio greeted. She was Professor Burbage was so sweet, but not as sweet as his friend when she looked back at him, I’m in love with that. Thank goodness his complexion and the sunrays made it near impossible to notice the light crimson flood his face as the stars just danced around her figure. "Me too.." Not realizing the true depth his words were placed in that. Was class starting soon?

Curious to find out why this Astronomy lesson was scheduled in the afternoon and not the regular evening, Max stepped into the classroom, feeling extra comfortable in his sneakers. Maybe some astronomical stuff was better learned in broad daylight. Or maybe ghosts were sleepier than living humans in the evenings. There was still so much he did not know about the Wizarding World - academic or otherwise - despite not even being Muggle-born. Noticing nothing extraordinary about the room to hint at what the lesson would be about, he simply turned to greet the professor.

“Hi, Professor Burbage,” said the Slytherin as he returned her smile, but not the creepy giggle. He took a seat and dropped his bag on the floor, no longer very curious about the timing of the lesson or anything about studying now that another lecture was about to begin.

Alaric adjusted the strap of his leather satchel as he made his way up the spiraling steps of the Astronomy Tower, the cool stone beneath his feet a contrast to the late afternoon sun pouring in from the narrow windows. Afternoon classes for Astronomy? That is odd. His parents had always described their Astronomy lessons as midnight affairs under starlit skies. He could still hear his father’s dramatic retelling of braving the chill of the witching hour as he mapped out constellations. Yet here he was, broad daylight with no sign of freezing winds or enchanted telescopes.

At least I will not be shivering today. He smirked at the thought.

As he reached the classroom, the golden warmth from the sunlit windows softened his steps. The navy walls, studded with shimmering golden stars, seemed to wink in welcome. For a moment, Alaric paused to take it all in. Despite the daylight, the room held its own quiet magic, a subtle hum of wonder that felt like a promise of things yet to come.

Professor Marion Burbage’s ethereal form shimmered as she floated through a sunbeam, the light dancing across her translucent edges in waves of gold. Her voice, bright and lilting, greeted him warmly as she gestured to the round tables.

“Looooovely to see you, darling. Please take a seat. We will begin shortly,” she said.

Alaric blinked, caught between the sweetness of her greeting and the high-pitched giggle that followed. The sound was somehow both endearing and mildly unsettling.

She is certainly memorable, he thought as a grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you, Professor,” he said politely, slipping into an empty seat near the middle of the room. He placed his satchel down and began arranging his parchment and quill in neat rows. His gray eyes drifted curiously toward the other students arriving, some wide-eyed, others chattering in hushed excitement.

Despite the unfamiliar setting and his lingering questions, Alaric felt a quiet thrill as he settled in. After all, what better way to start his Hogwarts journey than with a class full of stars, even in the middle of the day?

Elena had never seen a ghost before coming to Hogwarts. She'd known they were there, and that each house had their own house ghost. But having one as a professor was something else entirely. Elena gave Professor Burbage a warm smile when she entered the classroom. "Good afternoon professor," she greeted. And then she went to find a seat. She chose one next to some other first years. She hadn't gotten a chance to get to know most of them yet, but she was looking forward to it. "Hello," she greeted them cheerfully.

Elena found herself looking around the room, appreciating the way the sun was shining through the windows. It looked pretty that way. A sight that wasn't often appreciated in the Astronomy classroom. It made her wonder what they were going to be learning, and why it had to be at a time different than their normal class time.

Periwinkle could hardly contain her excitement as she climbed the spiral staircase to the Astronomy Tower. Her heart raced with anticipation—her very first class at Hogwarts! The sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden patterns on the stone walls. Everything felt magical, like a dream come to life.

As she stepped into the classroom, her eyes widened in awe. The room was breathtaking, with telescopes pointed toward the heavens and charts of constellations adorning the walls. The sunlight spilling in only added to its charm. Periwinkle couldn’t help but grin; this was so different from her old school.

“Good afternoon, Professor!” she chirped, her Scottish accent lilting with both excitement and nerves. She gave a small wave to Professor Burbage, who returned a warm smile. Periwinkle quickly found a seat near the back, still marveling at her surroundings.

She glanced out the window, puzzled for a moment. Why was the lesson held during daylight? Weren’t stars best seen at night? But then she decided it didn’t matter—she was here, ready to learn and soak up every moment of this magical experience. Hogwarts was already exceeding her wildest dreams.

While not exactly directed at her, Marion couldn’t help but stifle a chortle at the comment about the time of day. After all the grumbling and yawning during the evening lessons last term, she had assumed an earlier session would be a welcome change. But oh, how quickly that assumption fell apart! Classic case of assumptions and what they made of you.!

“Goooooood day, my dear,” the translucent Hufflepuff returned with a smile, one that didn’t quite have the dimples to make it precisely AS charming but was undeniably pleased by the praise of the room’s aesthetics. After all, there’s a certain glow one simply couldn’t experience in the evening!


This boy.

Marion resisted the urge to click her tongue as he stared at her with wide eyes—almost as if he had never seen a ghost before! She might also, just might, be a teensy bit sensitive about her semi-translucent appearance. Thus it was unfair for her to carry a near-zero tolerance for first-years, who, naturally, would be the ones most likely to act as if they’d just stumbled into a spectral nightmare. “Good day, Mr. Robicheaux,” she said, her voice as sweet as a sugarplum even if she could no longer properly taste them. “AND might I SUGGEST you refrain from the gawking in the future? I dooooooooooo believe restraint would suit you better.” Her smile could have been syrupy enough to make sugar quills.


Now THAT look. Oh, how it made her non-beating heart flutter—or, at least, think it should be fluttering. It was exactly the same expression her dear husband used to give her when he was still walking this earth...

Before she could float herself right through the nearest wall, Marion quickly refocused. Her eyes glanced down at her hands and then straight through the floor beneath her. Ah, yes, reality. Or the lack thereof.

“Good day, Hen—Mr. Laramore,” she called out, flashing a smile before effortlessly floating to the other side of the room, drifting through a particularly bright sunbeam.


The moment she passed by the closet, a sudden soberness gripped her—just in time for the next student to stumble in. “Good afternoon, Mr. Krauss-Marshall,” she greeted, her gaze flicking to the bag he had dropped unceremoniously on the floor. It was as if he thought it was a sack of potatoes, not the repository of his academic dreams. “I do hope there’s nothing breakable in there,” she mused, arching an eyebrow.


My, my, my... the Slytherin first-years were certainly something this term, weren’t they?

“Nothing to worry about, Mr. Ashcombe,” she reassured him, watching him settle into his seat as though he might blow away in the wind. “Unless, of course, you have a deep aversion to physical exertion—then I suppoooooooooooooooose you could have a tiny reason to be nervous.”


If the Slytherin first-years were the gawking type, then the Gryffindor first-years were decidedly more the pygmy puff sort— friendly and full of squishy cheer. So far, they had treated her translucency with nothing but respect. “Welcome, welcome, Miss Petrova,” she said, her eyes momentarily drifting to a stained-glass window, calculating the sun’s position relative to the moon. Seems it was almost time to begin...


As she floated away from the storage closet and back toward the center of the room, where the tables formed a neat circle, Marion nodded approvingly as Miss Paeng took her seat. “Yes, yes, thank you, my dear. AND with that...I dooooooooooo I believe it’s time we begin.”

. . . . . .

With a sigh—because being a ghost had its drawbacks, including the inability to open doors without the assistance of house-elves—Marion made asked the next student to close the door behind them. Hands on her hips, she beamed at the entire class. “Hello and welcome to another Astronomy lesson! I DO implore you not to dwell too much on the time of day, as I merely thought it would be less dangerous if today’s activities were held in the daylight rather than at night, with nothing but the moon, stars, and the occasional moonstone glow guide you,” she explained with a merry laugh. “Now, today’s topic is something you all feel constantly, even if you’re unaware of it. It’s that subtle, visceral sensation that’s with you every moment of every day. BUT before we get into the nitty-gritty of all THAT, let’s first dive into something a bit more abstract, but equally connected... can anyone think of a situation in daily life where something or someone moves in a circular OR repeating pattern? Please DO remember to raise your hand before speaking.”

“No, Professor. The already broken things in my bag have been been broken for a while now,” Max reassured Professor Burbage. He did, however, catch the unsaid message that he should drop his bag more softly and decided to try it next time. He also greeted some of the other first years next to him with a “Hello!” but otherwise said little while he waited for the lesson to begin.

AHA. So the time of day was not for an astronomically academical reason. That would have been one less thing to take notes on if he did that. The excited first year wriggled his toes in the comfortable sneakers he chose for the day, remembering that they were to do physical activities in this lesson. He raised his hand before speaking in response to the first easy-peasy question.

“Mom paces in a circular and repeating pattern when she’s thinking hard. Like when I do something wrong and she has to think how to scold me. But if I accidentally did magic when I was smaller, it wasn’t something I could control and it was really unfair of her to scold me. That’s why I’m here at Hogwarts, ‘cause I can do magic and have to learn how to use it well.” Max proudly concluded the story of his life and nodded for emphasis.

Alaric’s eyes widened slightly at Professor Burbage’s comment about "physical exertion," though his grin remained intact. What exactly are we in for? he wondered, curiosity sharpening the glint in his eyes. He straightened in his seat, determined not to let the word "nervous" apply to him in any way.

When she asked her question about repeating patterns, Alaric’s mind began to race. He thought of the ticking hands of the grandfather clock at home, the rhythmic flapping of Hermes' wings when the owl soared in steady circles, and, of course, the game-winning tactic of luring his opponents into a predictable cycle in wizard chess.

He raised his hand confidently, waiting for Professor Burbage's nod before speaking.

“The gears inside a clock, Professor. They move in a repeating circular pattern to keep time,” he answered, his voice steady and clear. “Each movement depends on the last, like a sequence, but it all loops back to the start.”

He leaned back slightly, satisfied with his answer but still eager to see how it tied into today's mysterious lesson. He could feel the excitement brewing within him, and despite the odd timing of the class, something about this felt like an adventure waiting to unfold.

Kritti shrugged nonchalantly in response to Dio’s question. “I’m not sure. We’ll see.” She did try to encourage Justus to be more serious when it came to attending classes but the task was a work in progress. The boyfriend was currently out of her mind, however, as her attention remained transfixed upon the stars. Perhaps if she hadn’t been caught up with them, she would have noticed the true meaning of Dio’s words, the sudden change in the colour of his face and just how happy she was to be in his company.

Oh, Professor Burbage! You of all ghosts professors should know just how much this Ravenclaw adored your late night lessons! It was simply magnificent to be out gazing up at the sky during that time. But Kritti was never going to complain about a single Astronomy lesson, not when she rather adored the subject.

Dwelling on the time of the lesson was not something the sixth year was not at all doing. In fact, she was quite ready for the lesson to begin, her bright pink-covered book ready to make relevant notes. As for Professor Burbage’s question, there were quite a few Astronomy/space themed objects that could be named but Krittika opted to go in a different direction. A hand up, she waited to be called upon. “The hands of clocks and certain watches move in a circular motion and were inspired by sundials. The shadow of the dial moved clockwise during the course of the sun's journey across the sky." Or so her highly intelligent Aunty Sarika once told her.

Dio wasn't sure if he reminded the Professor of someone, since he did catch her about to say another name. But it was no big deal to him, slip of the tongue was natural and maybe she was going to call him another student's name for all he knew.

Dio was partially confused with Kritti's short response. He wondered if things were on the low with her and Justus? Which shouldn't be making him smile, but here he was in an even better mood. For now, he'll be quiet as the class was just starting. With the first question, he thought of time immediately, which Kritti mentioned already as he nodded. A first year's response was more literal, but the interpretation was there although a little more personal with revealing stuff.

When it came his turn to respond, Dio rose his hand, "A fan, whether in the ceiling or portable standing will have the blades spinning in a circular motion." He decided to go with another object for example.

“Goodness gracious, HEAVENS above…” Marion had to fight the urge to show her full, entire confusion and slight horror at the thought of a young student lugging around broken items in his bag as if it were a hobby. Ahem, well, perhaps it was a phase. One of her own children had been ... quite the pack rat, so she could sympathize—just a bit. Nevertheless, she gave a nod to the boy’s explanation, silently hoping for more ... care in his future decisions.

“Ah yes, pacing in a circle—a classic, truly!” she mused, tapping a finger thoughtfully against her cheek, it passing entirely through her own cheek at least once. “It’s as if the very act of walking in circles helps the mind untangle its little knots. Oh, I too favored such a pastime in my earlier days, before... well, now I suppose I just float in circles. But no matter, NO MATTER,” she added, drifting off with a casual swoop. “Back to your example, Mr. Krauss-Marshall. Isn’t it simply marvelous how something as simple as pacing can reveal these grand, repetitive patterns in the universe? Life, my dear boy, much like the cosmos, moves in cycles. A most beautiful observation, if I do say so myself,” she chuckled, giving a playful but lazy spin.

Then, shifting to a more sincere tone, she continued, “Now, I DO see your point, my dear. It can certainly feel unfair when forces beyond your control are met with frustration. It’s tricky, trying to understand why people react the way they do, especially when magic is involved and ESPECIALLY when you’re just getting the hang of it all! But, as you so wisely pointed out, that’s exactly why you’re here at Hogwarts—to learn how to harness your abilities and, just as importantly, to understand the responsibility that comes with them. Thank you for sharing that with us, Mr. Krauss-Marshall,” she said, her tone warm and reassuring.


“Ah YES, what astute observations, Mr. Ashcombe and Miss Joshi! You’ve hit on something quite timeless, haven’t you?” Marion exclaimed with a delightful, if somewhat shrill, hooting sort of laughter. “The gears inside a clock, indeed! An absolutely perfect example of a repeating circular pattern AND it’s such a splendid parallel to today’s topic! Just like those gears, today's topic relies excluuuuuuusively on those lovely looped movements, repeating in perfect harmony. That is, until they don’t, but—ah, collisions and such are a topic for another day!”

Marion then glided to the center of the room, her voice taking on a more contemplative tone as she spoke to the class. “You see, in our solar system, in our galaxies, and the potential two trillion or so galaxies out there, one little movement can set off the next, and all those bits and bobs fit together like the gears in a clock. It’s really quite poetic, don’t you think? The universe itself is like the most intricate clock, spinning in ways we keep discovering more and more as we continue to look up!”

She beamed as she floated a little more around the circle of students, her eyes twinkling as her thoughts drifted fondly to the sundial installed in the Tower Patch last term. “And, Miss Joshi, you are absolutely right. Sundials were one of humanity’s earliest ways of tracking time, and the movement of the shadow around the dial mirrors the Earth’s rotation and its lovely relationship with the Sun. And, of course, clockwise—that term we all know so well—wasn’t even officially coined until the 14th century when mechanical clocks started popping up all over Europe. Before that, people used terms sun as sunwise and rightward, or simply following the Sun. Though I must admit I DOOOOOO find the term sunwise to be rather charming.”


THANKFULLY, Marion had managed to collect herself just enough to avoid a very embarrassing slip-up as she addressed Mr. Laramore this time. Students often found themselves mortified when they called their professors mum or dad, so imagine the UTTER pantomime if she had mistakenly called a student by the same name as her dearly departed husband! She’d made that mistake on a few occasions with the headmaster, the charmingly round studmuffin of a silver fox that he was, but he’d always chuckled it off and steered the conversation in other directions. Ahem... moving on.

“Ah yes, brilliant example, Mr. Laramore!” Marion beamed, her tone now animated. “The blades of a fan spinning in a circular motion are indeed a perfect parallel to the very concept of today’s lesson. And to make sure some of you all haven’t quite connected the dots just yet, let me make it even clearer: fan blades are strikingly similar to how planets move around the Sun in a consistent, repetitive cycle. You see, both the fan blades and celestial bodies move in circular patterns, with the blades revolving around their central axis, just as planets travel around a central star. AND much like those fan blades, which rely on energy to keep spinning, planets too are in constant motion, propelled by the gravitational forces that keep them in their orbital paths.”

Oops. Had she just properly spilled the beans on toast? If not, she was about to blow the top off this cauldron.



“As you may—or may not—have sorted out by now…” she continued, a twinkle in her eye as she looked upon her pupils. “In today’s lesson, we’ll be discussing orbits. Which, as our little chat just now has so beautifully illustrated in DUE thanks to your parallels, are essentially a continuous, repeating path one object follows around another. Now, before I rattle on too much about the science of it all, I’d like you all to share what you already know about orbits. Please DOOO build off one another and ask questions as they fall into your orbit. Once we fine-tune that knowledge together, we’ll move on to a bit of practical application!”

Did Justus having less time for her count as a ‘low’? It did, yet Kritti refused to let it bother her too much. She’d just reciprocate his actions, no big deal. So when she looked over to see Dio smiling, the sixth year misinterpreted it as being an encouraging one just for her.

Head now lowered over her book, she was diligently making notes of responses given and Professor Burbage’s elaboration on each. It seemed as though mostly everyone had opted to go along with an answer featuring an object. There was a strong urge to giggle, which was resisted, when the Ghost Lady spoke about floating in circles. Honestly, how was Burbage this sweet and funny?

Clearly her and the firstie were thinking similarly, and it came as quite a lovely surprise that their responses were somewhat related to the topic of today’s lesson. It brought another dimple-y smile to her face. The mention of ‘collisions’ immediately made her brain wander to galaxies colliding, a phenomenon Kritti truly found fascinating.

The page that she was writing on was rapidly filling though she did pause to acknowledge Burbage’s points on sundials with a few nods. ‘Sunwise’ was indeed a charming word, and she could see why the professor thought so. Why did the use of such cute words have to ‘die out’? Kritti looked over to Dio to send him a grin since his answer as well was matched to Astronomy.

Up went her hand again, the pink barreled pen in that grasp. “Orbits are also known as ‘orbital revolutions’. An object in an orbit is referred to as a satellite, and can be natural - Earth and the Moon for example.” There were artificial satellites too but despite them being useful, they were far less interesting. That was just Krittika’s opinion.

When Professor Burbage asked about things in their everyday lives that made repeating circles, Elena couldn't think of anything. She was sure there had to be something, but she couldn't think of any of them in that moment. Until other students gave their answers, and they seemed so obvious. Of course, a clock. The hands of a clock went around and around all day. And a fan, that was a good answer too. And planets! Which is probably what they were going to be talking about today.

Orbit. She had heard that word before. She didn't know a whole lot about it, but it wasn't a completely new topic. They'd learned a little about the basics of the solar system in primary school. Elena raised her hand and waited to be called on to give her answer. "The planets in our solar system all orbit the sun."

Alaric listened intently as the others spoke, his quill scratching lightly across his parchment as he took a few notes. The older Ravenclaw girl’s explanation about satellites and orbital revolutions sounded impressive, and a bit advanced, he admitted to himself, but it gave him an idea.

He raised his hand, his expression thoughtful but eager. Once Professor Burbage called on him, he spoke up.

“I was thinking about how orbits are not always perfect circles. They are usually more like stretched-out ovals... um, ellipses. The thing they orbit around isn’t exactly in the middle, it’s a bit off to one side.” He paused for a moment, making sure he was getting it right. “I read that comets do that. They go really far away and move slowly, but when they get close to the sun, they speed up a lot.”

He glanced around at the other students, hoping he was making sense. “So even though orbits repeat, they are not always the same shape or speed.”

Addyson was in a quiet, reflective mood today. The atmosphere of the classroom was warm and open-- it was quickly becoming one of her favourite places to exist in.

As the Professor spoke and students offered answers to her questions, Addyson remained quiet, jotting down notes in her notebook and then occasionally pausing to listen and visually imagining their solar system and the orbiting planets. The planets were rotating, spinning around her at various distances just like dancers on a dance floor.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and... the dwarf planet.

They all had different rotations and orbits so they had to be spaced out. WAIT! Panic crossed her face as she wondered her next question. How did the planets not crash into each other? Was it gravity..? She scribbled that question down in her notebook.

Another question had been asked. She sat up a little straighter when she heard a fellow first year (Elena) answer before hearing another first year (Alaric) describe the patterns of planetary orbits. "Building off another answer, Professor, the length of time that it takes to orbit is different by planet. Planets closer to the sun have a quicker orbit compared to those further from the sun like Neptune." She paused, getting rather excited to share the next fact which she spoke really quickly about. However, she was smiling. "For us on earth, it takes 365-ish days but for Neptune it takes 160-ish years to complete one orbit!"

He did not understand how pacing could reveal anything about the universe or about life, but was happy that he chose to speak about an example that apparently had such grand implications. Professor Burbage was awfully kind to empathise with him, even though she must have been his age like a thousand years ago. Max sat back contentedly and accidentally did not listen to any of his classmates’ answers.

He concentrated on the professor’s words again when she revealed the subject of the day’s lesson. He did know some things about orbits … but not enough to be as confident as his previous answer, so he tried to pay attention to what the other students said. When he somewhat gained new knowledge in addition to what he already knew, he raised his hand. “Building off everyone’s answers, orbits are what prevent the Earth from just floating away or flying off into space.” Which was pretty important, in his opinion.

Maddox had heard what Professor Burbage had said, but he didn't respond to what she said. Only had a little smile. He would decide what suited him, thank you.

Another thing about Maddox was that he didn't respond to much, especially when he didn't have to. Hence there not being much contribution from him in classes. It's not that he had nothing to say, just didn't see much point in saying it. So the first question passed him by, listening to the different answers of the other students. And the second question came around as well, and he did have something he wanted to contribute.

"Mass also factors into orbits," he chimed in once it was quiet, without raising his hand. "The gravitational pull people talked about is based around mass. Things with a smaller mass will always orbit things with a larger mass, because the gravitational pull is stronger for objects with a larger mass. Which is why the moon orbits Earth and not the other way around." Smaller, less important things revolve around larger, more important things. That's just how life works, and he was comforted by that fact.

“Ah, yes, wonderful, Miss Joshi ! Orbital revolutions, indeed! I DOOOOOOO believe I heard a spark or two of brilliance in that answer. The term ‘satellite’ is used to describe objects in orbit with Earth and the Moon being perfect examples of a natural satellite — those two certainly know how to keep each other company in their cosmic dance, MMMMMMHMMMMMMMM!”
She paused for a moment, eyes twinkling as she leaned forward slightly from her hovering position towards the front of the curved tables nearest the classroom door as the chalk beside the chalkboard jumped to life, adding notes based on what had been shared about orbits. “And while artificial satellites might not have the same allure as our Moon, they certainly deserve their moment in the spotlight. After all, these little metallic marvels help muggles with everything from communication to weather forecasting. Useful? Absolutely! Marion then straightened up, her tone shifting to encourage even deeper curiosity. “Excellent start, my dear.”


“Indeed they DO, Miss Petrova! The planets, all gracefully orbit the Sun, each in their own rhythm. It’s almost as if the entire solar system is performing a grand cosmic ballet!” She glided slightly, passing through more sunbeams along the way, her voice filling with warmth as she continued. “Imagine each planet as a dancer, HMMM? Moving in perfect synchrony, but each with its own unique tempo and space on the floor. Some, like Mercury, twirl close and fast, while others, like Neptune, glide slowly and gracefully at the edges. And the Sun? Oh, powerful center—the spotlight, if you will—that holds the whole ensemble together, guiding each movement with its immense gravitational pull.” With a gentle nod, she’d encourage further thought. “You see, my dear, in this celestial choreography, everything is connected, each movement influencing the next. A most beautiful example of how the universe is like an ever-changing, yet always perfectly coordinated, performance.”


“Ah, yes, well said, Mr. Ashcombe! Goodness gracious HEAVENS above, aren’t we all smarties! As you so astutely shared, orbits aren't always the neat, perfect circles we might expect. In fact, most orbits are elliptical — oval-shaped, as you mentioned — just like the comets you’re thinking of. And yes, the center of that ellipse isn’t quite in the middle. The object being orbited — whether it's the Sun or another body — sits off to one side, pulling the object in orbit closer and farther away at different points.” She gave a little nod, then continued with enthusiasm and an accompanied shimmy. “You’ve also made a great observation about the speed of orbits. As you rightly pointed out, comets and other objects in elliptical orbits move more slowly when they’re farther from the Sun and then speed up dramatically when they come close. This is all due to gravity, which pulls harder when they’re closer, giving them a little ‘push’ to speed them up. Like Mercury having a much speedier orbit than Neptune due to their relative distance from the Sun. It’s a beautiful example of how orbits are dynamic, always changing in shape and speed, yet still following the same basic rules of motion.”


“Ah, excellent, Miss Dane! What a wonderful contribution! You’ve helped expand and reiterate something very important about orbits, that of course being that the closer a planet is to the Sun, the faster it moves in its orbit. This is because the Sun’s gravity pulls harder on planets that are nearer, making them travel quicker. So yes, Earth moves around the Sun in a neat 365-ish days and Mercury ZIIIIPS around it in 88-ish days, while Neptune, darling Neptune, so far out there … takes a STAGGERING 160-ish years to make its complete journey around! Imagine the patience it must require for Neptune to finish its orbit… if I had to wait that long, I’d certainly well…I DO suppose I’ve got nothing but time now…” She was tiptoeing, floating, dangerously towards feeling sorry for herself again and she swiftly cleared her through to refocus herself and floated a bit more along the curved table towards the next raised hand.


“SUUUUPERB, Mr. Krauss-Marshall! Orbits are INDEED the cosmic glue that keeps us from flying off into the great unknown of space. Without them, well, Earth might just take a very unplanned vacation. Perhaps even one straight out of the solar system!” She chuckled lightly, then leaned back a little to check that the chalk was keeping up with all her students’ brilliant responses. “You’re spot on. The reason Earth doesn’t just float away is because of the delicate balance between two forces. The first being the Sun’s gravitational pull, which keeps us in orbit, and the second our own planet’s motion as it moves forward. This creates an orbit, like a gentle tug-of-war, where we’re constantly being pulled toward the Sun, but moving just fast enough to avoid falling off the rails…so to speak.” Marion gave a thoughtful nod before continuing, “So, yes, orbits are absolutely vital for keeping our planet, ALL planets, in place, and ensuring we don’t go tumbling off into deep space. It’s a marvelous thing, isn’t it? How the universe works in such precise, interconnected ways. Excellent observation, my dear!”


“Ah, yes, another brilliant insight but of insight, Mr. Robichaeux! You’ve positively nailed it. The gravitational pull between two objects is directly related to their mass. The larger the mass, the stronger the pull. That’s why Earth, with its much greater mass, has a much stronger gravitational force than the Moon. This pull keeps the Moon in orbit around us, rather than the other way around! Just to clarify something before I ramble on some more, some of you may confuse mass and weight. Perfectly understandable as they DOOOOOO seem like the same thing HOWEVER … mass is the total amount of matter, or "stuff," in an object and is always the same. Weight is the force of gravity on an object and can change depending on gravity.” There, with that essential clarification out of the way, she floated a bit closer to Mr. Robicheaux, her tone excited as she continued. “Backtracking JUUUUUUUUST a smidgen here, you could say that Earth is like a much bigger dancer, pulling the Moon along in its orbital waltz. The Moon is technically pulling on Earth too. There’s a subtle, lovely tug that affects the tides BUUUUUUUUUT Earth’s mass is the heavy lifter here, leading the dance.” Marion gave a soft, approving nod, her voice becoming a bit more reflective. “This relationship between mass and gravity is the very reason why planets orbit stars, moons orbit planets, and all of the wonderful cosmic motions you see in space. It’s a dance of mass and gravity, forever keeping things in their proper place.”

Marion floated across the classroom, a pleased smile playing on her lips as she reflected upon the students’ brilliant responses. “Ah, well now, this is rather maaaaaaaaaaaarvelous! Simply look at the board and what the chalk has recorded based simply on your knowledge and the discussion that came from what you each shared! All of you have hit the nail on the head! I was going to give you a lengthy lecture on orbits today, but it seems you’ve already covered all the essential points. How delightful!” she said, her voice light with genuine admiration. She glided towards the closet, her thoughts still buzzing with the energy of the class.





“You’ve all truly impressed me, talking about elliptical orbits, the role of gravity, and how mass affects everything. I’ll be honest, I was preparing to rattle on about planetary motion and orbits for a good while, but you’ve made that entirely moot. Quite the clever bunch, aren’t we?” Marion floated towards the large storage closet, she gave it a thoughtful glance before speaking aloud, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. “Well, I might not have the hands to open this, but I do have a bit of... finesse.”

With a soft, whispered incantation, she flicked her translucent fingers toward the closet door. It creaked open on its own, as if nudged by an invisible breeze. “Ah, magic! A most useful tool, especially when your ‘hands’ are made of something other than flesh and bone.” She glided inside, her form passing through the shelves effortlessly as she checked to make sure the necessary box was where she had left it and Peeves not played yet another horrendous prank on her, before floating back toward the class. “In any case, I DOOOOOOO suppose that’s the beauty of teaching—you’re always learning right alongside your students no matter how old or how transparent you may become. In fact, I do believe your answers were far more exciting and engaging than anything I had planned.” She chuckled lightly, floating back toward the center of the room with a newfound respect for her class's intellectual curiosity. “Now I DOOOOO believe it is about time we got to something a bit more practical. SO, all of you out of your seats. Shoo shoo shoo. If you all would be so kind as to go into that storage closet there and from that box just to the left on the middle most shelf retrieve five or so ping pong balls each. With them in hand, please return to your seats and ready your wands.”

If there were any follow up questions then now would certainly be the time to inquire!

She really ought to have mentioned the tiny detail about not dropping the ping pong balls, but in the flurry of excitement and chatter, that little nugget of information completely slipped her mind. Not to worry, though, the students would discover such matters soon enough... in a very colorful way.

OOC: the ping pong balls have been enchanted to explode on contact into a variety of colors. Do or do not with such information as you will.

Yes … he was actually understanding most of what was being said. The comparisons to objects and forces he knew well were helpful, and he found himself voluntarily listening, curious for more explanation as to why their planet was not shooting off into nothingness at this very moment.

Nevertheless, Max did not have to be told twice to get out of his seat. He bounced into the storage closet and retrieved five ping pong balls from the indicated box - two in his left hand, three in his right. Making a triangle with the three ping pong balls and gripping them between his fingers helped him to hold them more safely in his small palm. Back in his seat, he put the ping pong balls down on his parchment beneath the few lines of notes he had copied down. The final step was to whip out his wand and hold it ready. He could levitate things now of course, but didn’t think anybody would notice his impressive achievement if he demonstrated it at the moment because of all the shuffling around.

So he sat silently and wondered what kind of planetary charm they would get to learn.

Professor Burbage said the magic word to really capture Elena's attention; ballet. She didn't know if she somehow knew that she was a dancer, or if it was a lucky choice of analogy. But Elena listened starry eyed (no pun intended) as she imagined the planets dancing around each other around the sun. Though it meant that she was very invested on this explanation, it also meant that she did get a bit distracted when she was supposed to be listening to others. But luckily the relevant information was written on the board, so she tried to catch up by turning her attention there.

And then they were getting up and doing something, which Elena was excited about. She got to her feet quickly and hurried over to the closet. She did patiently wait her turn, and then reached into the box to collect her ping pong balls. She chose five and held them in both hands as she brought them back to her seat. And then she took out her wand, eagerly awaiting instructions on what they were going to do next.

Krittika could not have agreed more: the moon and sun were fascinating together; quite the team they made. All the while Professor Burbage was more than enthusiastically elaborating, the Ravenclaw was scribbling neatly away. She did rather enjoy and love the ghost’s reactions to the students’ replies, by the way. And yes, artificial satellites were indeed helpful, there was no denying the fact. “Thank you, professor,’’ Kritti replied, happily tapping the top of her pen on the book before her. She appreciated the compliment!

It might have been difficult to make notes while constantly stifling giggles by grinning at Burbage's happy-go-lucky reactions to everything. But the sixth year had mastered that feat last term by expertly juggling both. That much was proven by the lengthy notes she had written - almost on the fourth page now.

Having finished writing now, Kritti gazed at Burbage curiously. Just what had she in mind for the practical part of the lesson? Whatever it was, it would be revealed soon. So, with eagerness, Kritti bounded out of her seat to collect five of the regular looking ping pong balls. Thank Merlin the box was set on the middle shelf! With her five foot, five inch height, she doubted she’d have been able to reach much higher. Then again, that’s why she kept Dio around - so he could help her get stuff from hard to reach places. Just kidding, Dio!

On her way back to her seat, one hand clutching three balls, the other two, the ravenclaw felt one of the trio slipping from her grasp {sorry, but she had small hands} and - ahh, there it went, diving for the floor. She expected it to bounce and roll but nope. What happened was a

GRAND BURST OF COLOURS!!!

When Professor Burbage floated closer to him, Maddox eyed her warily. While he was interested in how ghosts...well, existed, he also didn't want to get too terribly close to one. Nothing against Professor Burbage.

When she went over to the closet Maddox relaxed just a bit, nothing super noticeable. He got up with the rest of the class to grab some ping pong balls. As he waited for his turn, he watched as one of the older students dropped some on the ground, and they unexpectedly exploded with color. Well. He certainly wouldn't be doing that.

Pockets. A brilliant invention.

He picked the ping pong balls out of the box and shoved some into his pockets, being very careful as to not get his robes all a mess. He held two in his hands while the other three were in his pockets, and he shuffled back over to his table—walking around the splat of color that spread across the floor. He set down the balls he was holding and took the rest out of his pockets. He took his wand out from its holster, waiting for the next instructions.