Muggle Studies Lesson 3
 

Antonio walked into the classroom slowly and took a look around. He was extremely grateful to Professor Ashby for allowing him use of this space but he was still nostalgic for his old room, which he had grown so used to and now was flooded out. There was water everywhere, he was getting sick of it, but he decided he might as well have some fun with it and make the subject interesting, so he had decided to do this class themed around things muggles loved to do on and in the water.

"I've got a textbook for all of you, please pick one up on the way to your seat," he encouraged the students -
List of water sports - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"And we'll be getting started soon. Just take a seat and help yourself to some salt water taffy, if you like," he encouraged, indicating a bowl of brightly colored candies.

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...eira/taffy.jpg

Garret wandered into the classroom, only momentarily perplexed by the fact that it seemed his timetable had carried him to a Muggle Studies class in the Charms room. He shrugged off a mental Meh, and grabbed a textbook in the front of the class along with a handful of the brightly coloured sweets.

"Cheers," he said unabashedly in greeting to the professor, passing casually by on his way to his seat in the middle of the class.

This was too early int he morning for Paris. Diva's needed their beauty rest. She yawned as she walked into the temporary Muggle Studies classroom. She waved at Professor Dumont. "Good morning sir," she told him.

She picked up a textbook and a few pieces of taffy. She choose a seat next to one of the windows. She needed the fresh air to wake her up.

A small walk...slow walk towards the Muggle Studies classroom, which happened to be the Charms one, was being done by Emiliano. He was in some sort of depression, maybe. School was ending soon and well...nothing cheered him up lately.

Not even the candy that sat on the desk nearby the professor. "Good day, Professor Dumont..." He greeted, instantly going to sit then turn to see his textbook. Water sports....hmm...

Kiri seemed to be one of the first students. "Hello, Professor," she said courteously as she entered the classroom. She meandered past the empty tables and picked up one of the textbooks. After some hesitation, she picked up some of the brightly coloured toffee, too. Salt water?

She picked a chair and sat down, her bag disappearing below the table. Kiri didn't want to seem rude, but privately she was pretty sure that making toffee taste like salt water was probably one of the less successful flavours. With trepidation, she unwrapped one and put it in her mouth.
Her smile became very fixed. This thing tasted... Well, it tasted as if someone had picked up a stone at some beach, possibly in the vicinity of a dead fish, and then melted it. It was so salty!

Kiri swallowed it as quickly as possible, then groped for her bag and washed the taste away with some water. To hide her embarrassment, she began thumbing through the textbook the professor had given them. It did not improve her mood. More water? After this term, Kiri was a bit reluctant to even think about the ol' hydrogen oxide - although she had to admit that the impromptu swimming pool the headmaster had organised on the first floor had been fun.
She read on while, around her, the room filled up as more of her classmates arrived.

Ah, Muggle Studies, it was a fairly easy class to him considering he was a muggle-born (as the wizards called it). So yup, most of the classes were fuuuuun though. To be quite honest, every class was fun 'cause the professors always did fun things! LIKE HOW AWESOME WAS THAT?? Waaaay WAAAYY better than the schools he previously used to take back in the muggle world.

Hogwarts > EVERYOTHERSCHOOL.

Cam walked into the classroom, his eyes first going to the candy. OOOH SWEEEETS. "Hiiii professaaaah," and he dashed off to the taffies, making sure he got a bit extra.

"Greetings, all of you," Antonio smiled. "I'm glad to see you all here, and I apologize for the relocated classroom. As all of you know, things have been a bit crazy around the castle lately." In fact, Antonio could have sworn he had heard voices yelling out in a strange language which was completely foreign to him a bit earlier in the day. The strange thing about it was that the voices seemed to be coming from deep within the castle, from a level which had already been flooded.

"We'll get the lesson underway soon, I just want to give more people a chance to show up before we get going," he said.

Reese did not forget that the Muggle Studies class was now taken place in the Charms classroom. She was just running slightly late because she couldn't find her, um, teddy bear. Yeah, that's right, she couldn't find her teddy bear. Honestly, she forgot.

She quickly walked into the classroom and smiled when she saw that she wasn't too last. Thank goodness. She picked up a textbook and some candy before she headed over to a empty seat in the front of the class. "Hello Professor Dumont," she said after she took her seat. She opened one of the pieces of candy and ate it.

She perked up as William sat next to her. "Hey William," she whispered as she didn't want to start talking in Professor Dumont's class but she wanted William to know she was glad he was sitting next to her.

Outside in the corridors, Anna giggled when she noticed Reese just up ahead. Marvelous...she wasn't the only one late then. Of course Anna had remembered class was being held today...in the Charms classroom...but, well, we'll just blame it on the stress of NEWTs and all the late night studying she'd been doing. She could have sooo slept in today. The school year was drawing to a close, though, and pretty soon, she'd be attending her very last class ever, so she may as well enjoy it while she could.

Entering the classroom, she quickly made it to the professor's desk and grabbed a textbook and some sort of candy he was offering. She'd never had it before, whatever it was, but it looked tasty. "Good day, sir," she said, giving her Head of House a wave and a smile. She made her way into the classroom and took a seat right next to Reese.

"Hello, Anna," Antonio said. This was her last year, and she would be missed. As Head Girl, she had done an amazing job. "And hello Garret, Egypt, Emiliano, Kiri, William, Cam, Jack and Reese. I hope all of you are doing well today. We'll get started, I guess."

Antonio seemed to be just a little down today. He knew it was something to do with the flooding. He just felt really sad about things that had been happening lately. He was sure the students were down about the situation, too, but maybe he could make the lesson fun. He hoped so.

"It seems as though the muggles are fascinated with water. They've managed to find all sorts of things to do involving water, sports and activities of all sorts. Does anyone know what some of these things are?", he asked.

ooc: Please feel free to come and join the lesson, but please don't announce you are showing up late. Just act as if you had been here the whole time. Announcing you are late is a no no, and will result in points being deducted from your house!

Thanks.

This lesson will be conducted very leisurely, so be sure and check back.

Cam raised his hand, being familiar with a few water sports (though he's never really played any of 'em. "Thereee's water polo and snorkeling," he said, shivering as he said snorkeling, a thing he'd done the first time which would be his last time of doing it, "and kayaking would count, right?" Kayaking was fun, as long as you didn't tip over and drown.

Garret lazily chewed on one of the odd-tasting toffees and raised an arm slowly at the Professor's question. His strategy during lessons was to answer the early questions so that when his attention waned by the middle of the class, he wouldn't be much of a target considering he had already fulfilled his participation quota, "Bobbing for apples?" he said tentatively, his voice muffled as his molars were stuck together by the surprisingly potent toffee.

Victoria rasied her hand high "Please professor, there is water skiing and canoeing!" She had been canoeing on a summer holiday one year.

Aww, Linda!! *huggles you and Dumont* ^_^
 

When she was greeted, Anna responded to the professor with a warm, appreciative smile. He'd been a wonderful Head of House, and she'd surely miss working with him. He seemed to be a bit under the weather today, though, so she smiled a little wider, hoping to convey the message 'After the rain, there comes a rainbow'. Her mother had always said that to her, and it meant that after the bad points in life, the good points will surely come---just like after a terrible thunderstorm, a pretty rainbow will more than likely appear.

Of course they'd be studying water sports today. Water had been quite the common topic throughout the school year. Water sports were a fun topic to discuss, though, and it made Anna think of all the good ways water could be used. Raising her hand at the sound of a question, Anna said, "Synchronized diving is a really interesting water sport, in my opinion. That's when two divers attempt to perform the same exact dive into the water at the same exact time. I've always found it interesting that they do such incredible stunts while timing their motions so accurately."

Reese had been glancing through her book when Professor Dumont asked the first question. She slowly closed her book and raised her hand. "They windsurf, they go rafting, they jet ski," she answered. "They also scuba dive and play water polo." She lowered her hand and picked up another piece of candy.

"Yes, those are all good choices for water sports," Antonio acknowledged.

Antonio laughed. "Bobbing for apples, that's an interesting one," he commented. "But I guess that's true, it does involve water, doesn't it?"

"Ah, two excellent choices!", Antonio said.

Antonio smiled. "Yes, that's a very good water sport. Excellent choice," he said.

"Oh yes, jet skiing. Muggles do participate in that, don't they?", Antonio asked. "Yes, another great choice."

"Nice choice," Antonio said, happy to see so much variety in the water sports students were selecting.

"Yes, that's true, muggles do all those things," Antonio agreed.

"I notice there are two sports that haven't been mentioned yet, though. One of them has to do with riding the waves over something and the other with catching something, possibly for food or a trophy. Can anyone tell me what those two things are?"

Victoria put her hand up again "One is surfing Professor!" she was good at this class because she is muggleborn herself.

"That would be fishing and surfing," Anna said, her hand raised high into the air. She didn't know too much about going fishing, but she'd love to go surfing! Riding the waves sounding like a really thrilling thing to do. Going fishing...now that sounded scary. What if she accidentally reeled in a grindylow or something? Or...a merperson! Gulp. Those creatures had gotten pretty darn freaky lately.

Paris raised her hand. "And then you have fly fishing and then catch and release fishing." She said. "But then there are different types of surfing too. You can body board as well as surf." She loved surfing. It was so much fun especially when you had a bunch of cute guys watching you.

Emiliano raised his hand to answer. "Well...there is fishing, considered a recreation and economic activity. Depends on what purpose people have towards it. Then also surfing, recreating fun...and I shall say a dangerous sport if you don't train well enough." He said all he knew, well...not all. He just knew that around Australia, the best surfing waves existed.

Wonder if he would ever go there...hmm...

Antonio nodded. "Yes, surfing and fishing are both two very popular activities with muggles. So, as we can see, there are many different sports involving the water that muggles do enjoy. And it really seems like the muggles are fascinated with vacation spots near the water, and many of them are drawn to live near the beach or the ocean. What do you suppose the reason for this could be?"

Hmm...great question Professor Dumont did. Em raised his hand, hoping to give at least a good or so answer. "Well...the beach always has a warm, yet nice and windy climate, which we all enjoy. Also, there can be circumstances, such as health; My grandmother has a heart disease, and her doctor adviced her to live near the beach, enjoy the low altitude and fresh air..." He commented, lowering his hand slowly.

Paris giggled at Jack's answer. She remember how he was staring at them in that little swimming hole the Headmaster had created for them. The boy really needed to get out more. "Well sir it could be several reasons. Not every coastal country has beaches you can swim in. In Chili the water is too cold and turbulent but people still flock to it. There is just something about watching the sun set on the ocean that makes us feel connected with the earth." She said dreamily. "Or it could be because everyone else wants to be there. You know how no one wants to eat somewhere no one else is eating at. It could be the same with oceanfront property." she smiled.

Daniel raised his hand and said, "Professor, muggles are enticed by the beauty of the sea in many reasons. First, in early times it is a center for trade and commerce between different countries. Muggles from one country make trade of their products to those of others countries by means of the sea. Second, muggles were once hunters that hunt on mountains for deers and wild boars, but when the supply went scarce they resort into fishing in the sea as a means of sufficing the need of the community."

Alice was still debating over whether to eat that salt-water taffy or not. The wrapper seemed tempting. But she was not sure of the taste since prof. said something about salt-water. She rolled the taffy on her palm, focussing on the lesson instantly.

She raised her hand. "They are simply attracted by its utilities like fishing, boating and travelling followed by its beauty and the clamness the waves and other water bodies gives to human" she took a small breath and added, "And everybody likes to play with water. It's a human nature too" she simply said.

Thomas raised his hand even though a lot of students have answered the question and said," Some of the reasons that Muggles enjoy living near the sea is because the seaside is a calm place, and it is a great place to meet people."

"Those are all excellent answers," Antonio said. "All of you have presented excellent reasons for why the muggles love being close to the water so much. Unfortunately, there are some occasions when the water isn't so welcome, somewhat like the situation we are experiencing here at the castle this year. Does anyone know what some of those situations might be?"

Victoria put her hand up "Professor, what about if the water has dangerous creatures in it like sharks and in the lake is the giant squid."

Kiri raised her hand. "Do you mean during, er, water sports? If it's in the sea, I guess they could... be swept away by a wave? Or their diving equipment could stop working?" She nodded sagely. Muggle apparatus often malfunctioned. "Or they could get eaten by a shark?"

Thomas thought about the question for a moment and after two minutes he raised his hand and said," There could be a tsunami attack and the sea might be full of dangerous creatures."

Garret twirled his wand around and around his fingers as he stared vaguely in the direction of the professor, his mouth slightly agape. He was thinking about surfing and what he would look like had he been a professional muggle surfer person. Lyra Noir would definitely fawn and fangirl over him then...

Merlin... Lyra Noir on the beach!

What an image!

Anybody looking at the fourteen year old boy at that moment could clearly see that his consciousness was nowhere near the classroom or the discussions being held in that room.

Satine shot her hand up in the air, "Well, how bout Hurricane's? I once visited Galveston in Texas and hurricane hit...wow it was scary...." she felt herself shiver with the mental images that thought brought back.

Em raised his hand. "Well, there are hurricanes, tsunamis...always followed by floods. The season on which they appear, lots of Muggles have to leave their place, their home to protect themselves and end up with their possessions destroyed, most of the time. " He just shivered at the thouoght of people having to do so.

Raising her hand, Anna said, "Being close to water can be dangerous during certain weather conditions. Take, for instance, a hurricane. Hurricanes begin far out in large bodies of water and lots of times end up traveling closer to shorelines or actually onto the land. The devestation caused by a hurricane is far worse for those near the large bodies of water when the hurricane hits. Those strorms have been known to take out large cities and cause lots of destruction. I definitely feel like the water would be very unwelcomed during a hurricane...or any other type of major storm, at that."

"Floods, tsunamis, hurricanes, monsoons, tidal waves and tornadoes, yes, they can all cause extremely damaging flooding and sometimes quite rapidly. A bit like what has happened here at the castle." He laughed nervously. He really didn't think the flooding was very funny and hadn't understood until now why their spells didn't seem to have any affect on the water. It was because they understood so little about the spells the merpeople were using and had no way to counteract the damage they had done. Even now, Antonio knew the water had reached the ceiling of the first floor and that everything he held dear was now completely ruined.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to bring many props to this class," Antonio said, having lost his train of thought for a moment. "I had planned on having surfboards and things, but unfortunately I wasn't able to get any of those out of my office before the flooding started."

Antonio thought a moment. "I'm going to assign homework in just a little bit, but do any of you have anything else you'd like to discuss regarding the muggles and their love of the ocean before I do? I would just briefly like to touch on the image the muggles seem to have of merpeople, one quite different from the reality. We know what the merpeople look like, and yet the muggles perceive them as looking like this -

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/a...edreira/ev.jpg

Antonio shuddered. To him, there was nothing attractive about the merpeople in any way, yet the muggles insisted on showing them as the beautiful people. Most interesting.

"The muggles idolize the merpeople, particularly the merwomen, and make movies and commercials featuring them, always very attractive. Does anyone know some of the muggle products or movies these overly attractive merpeople have been featured in?"

Chris looked at the picture Professor Dumont had showed the class of the muggle-version of merpeople. He really didn't like the real merpeople that much, but would tolerate them if he had too.

Muggle things with attractive merpeople in it? Ooh he had one. "Professor Dumont, when my father and I went to America one summer we came across this odd movie, like moving pictures that the Muggles watch one tv's for entertainment," Chris wasn't up on all the muggle inventions and lingo. "in a muggle store that depicted a red-haired merwoman that talked to fish and stuff. I think it was called the Little Mermaid" he shrugged he hoped it was something that the Professor meant.

SAtine shot her hand into the air, "There was an older book...something like Oddepus or Odeapus or something that had mermaids in it. The mermaids were more like the way we know them though...they were called sirens and would lure the sailors into a whirlpool....or something like that..." after she had spoken she regretted it because she sounded like she didn't know what she was talking about.

Demetria raised her hand. "There's a movie that is very popular with the younger muggles called The Little Mermaid. She sings and has fish friends and ends up marrying a muggle man." she explained. So unrealistic. "There's another movie I know of called Aquamarine where a mermaid promises two muggle girls three wishes if they help her find true love." Again, very unrealistic.

Professor Dumont didn't seem himself at all, and she was upset because of it. She hated that his office was flooded and he lost everything. All because of some silly underwater hissy fit.

Paris raised her hand. "There was this movie called Splash and then I think another one called Auqumaria. Or something like that." she told him. She hated that movie but she did like the Little Mermaid. "But sir wouldn't we rather have muggles guessing and getting things wrong about the magical world than them getting it right? Well as it pertains to entertainment that is." she asked.

"Sadly, and mistakenly..." Emiliano started to raise his hand ready to answer, "that's how they see the merpeople...and with their attractive image as they imagine it, they use them as attracting marketing to visit a touristic place...and there are a various type of movies and Muggle series on TV that portray their image as so..." He commented, pointing to the image shown by Professor Dumont.

"I believe...there is as talking to movies, The Little Mermaid, Splash..." He may have said a few of the oldest movies possible that took merpeople as beautiful creatues, not like the ones he had heard and seen of the last years.

Daniel wanted to answer but his knowledge was insufficient to know the muggle movies. He had heard of some that his godfather talked about, but it was minimal. If only his godfather was here, he can answer these questions.

"Very good," Antonio told the class. "I know everything is in disarray right now so I won't hold any of you up. I was going to do another lesson, like I said, but the circumstances here at the castle left me unprepared. I will go ahead and post the homework now, though, and good luck to all of you."

With that, Antonio pulled out his wand and posted the following on the board behind him -