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.