After a minute Emily began to rub the telescope in the solution again, making sure to do clockwise ciruclar motions like the instructions had said.

Now it was all shiny! And her shoulder was begining to hurt as well.
She switched arms and continued rubbing. This lesson was not what she had expected.

By this point in the lesson, Sierra was fuming.

This was the third time an entire class period had been wasted while the students cleaned either equipment or the classroom area. The first time had been when Vindictus had them use Broomstick Servicing Kits on all the dilapidated school brooms. Sierra had done the task, of course, but she'd also been sure that it had been a task Vindictus himself had been meant to complete! He'd just used his classtime to force the students to do the work he didn't feel like doing!

...and then, the second time had been in Herbology class--Vindictus again! He'd made the students clean and maintain all that had been neglected by Mugwarts--or whatever the actual Herbology professor was really called. Sierra had done that, too (for the points, of course), but again she'd been sure the students were actually doing the professor's work!

...and now, here they were again--cleaning telescopes that looked to have been neglected since the beginning of time. Okay, so maybe not that far back, but Sierra was just in a bad mood again, and so she found herself exaggerating about something that didn't really seem to bother most of the other students. She took a deep breath and made a grab for some cleaning solution and a soft cotton towel. The frown on her face, however, remained in place for at least a minute or two longer.

Sierra balled up the towel, placed it above the now-opened bottle of solution, and then turned the bottle upside down. Once the towel was good and wet with solution, she twisted the cap back onto the solution and put it off to the side. She glared at the telescope as she started to clean it. She still thought wandwork would have been so much better. Her arms and hands moved faster and harder as she scrubbed and scrubbed. She moved the towel gently, though, over the glass parts of the telescope. After she'd applied a good layer of solution onto the telescope, she stepped back and carefully studied her work.

Hmm...alright, time for step two.

With a pout, Jake had written down the steps he needed to complete. Step 6 didn't really count, so he'd charmed that part red, and then loooooooooked at what needed to be done.

Sigh.

Antares would have them discussing Philosophical stuff and hurting Jake's brain. It would have been a welcome break, had he knew where the man was. Sadsad.

Eyeing the steps, Jake realised it was allllllllllllmost like curing a cauldron or tending to a broomstick... so he was already lifted some in his mood. He summoned a soft cloth thing and used some of the cleaning solution, very gently applying it all over the telescope. Whereas this would be super easy for most, Jake was a perfectionist; you could tell in he way he leaned close and would find it unacceptable to have the surface of the solution uneven.

But he had to work fast, lest it evaporate some and throw him off, so once he'd done that as quickly as he could, Jake leaned back to wait for a time when he could start the second step.

Charley looked at Jaina, who was sitting right next to her at the work table. She had already begun cleaning her telescope.
"I'll write down the instructions while you get started and you can copy them later, is that all right?"
She gently moved her telescope away from her and got out her quill and notebook, taking down every detail on the paper Professor Hadley had given them.

Cleaning Instructions:
1. Use the cleaning solution provided and apply with a soft cotton towel a light layer.
2. Allow to air dry for a minute, before applying another coat of cleaning solution and rubbing it onto the looking glass and all over the telescope. Keep the rubbing to clockwise circular motions and continue until you've done all over the scope.
3. Take a fresh towel and rub in the same direction to towel dry the scope.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 as necessary until dust and debris is gone.
5. Once the scope is clean, spray a thin layer of holding cream over the scope to help prevent future dust outbreaks.
6. Allow the solution to dry fully before operating the telescope. This may take up to 24 hours.

When she finished copying them down, she closed her notebook and put it and her quill back into her bag, which she then set near the door out of the Tower. She dabbed a touch of the cleaning solution onto the soft cotton towel in front of her, and began to gently rub the telescope.

Nika quickly scribbled down the steps to clean a telescope on some spare parchment. This could come in handy. Nika was a little upset at the fact of cleaning, but she did feel bad if her professor had to do it by herself. She isn't even the Astronomy teacher in the first place! Nika took the cleaning solution and carefully tipped the bottle. When enough of the solution had made it's way onto the towel she twisted the cap tightly. She started to dab the telescope with the wet towel. She felt like it was done and examined the piece of equipment to make sure. "Oh no I missed a spot!" Taking her towel she rubbed at the dirty spot. "There. All better." Nika looked around hoping that no one saw her talking to herself again.

Emily looked over her list and crossed off what she had already done. Now it was time to dry.
As she got a new towel and began to rud the telescope again she realised this was actually a good lesson to think things over. Stuff she needed to do, upcoming events... well, it would have been if her shoulder didn't hurt from rubbing so much.
She switched arms again but it still hurt. And she'd have to do this again and again until the telescope was clean. Groan.

While waiting for the telescope to dry Nika looked back to her parchment. "Step two here I go." She let it sit for a few more minutes just to be on the safe side. Then she took some more solution and rubbed it on the telescope. She made sure to go in clockwise motions like the instructions said. Her arms were aching. "Who knew cleaning a telescope wouldn't be easy." Nika shook her head. She was talking to herself like she did, a lot.

Riley was did not really have cleaning in mind when he entered the Astronomy classrooom that day, what were the House-Elves doing that they hadn't had time to clean them over the break. Yeah that sounded mean but seriously? The Gryffindor grabbed a telescope, after checking for a less dirty one but not having any luck and took his soiled piece of equipment to the work tables with the other students.

Copying the instructions down he grinned a bright and happy smile at Hadley so that she wouldn't know she was making him upset, oh no she would NOT win that easy. He took a clean towel and dipped it in the solution and began to place it on the body of the scope then paused to let it dry. Peeking at Hadley as he waited.

Okayyyyy. Jake had given it more than a minute to dry slightly, and grabbed the towel again, RUBBBBBBBING the solution on and focusing on a particularly stubborn area where it looked like a five year old with really sticky candy hands hand been playing with the Astronomy equipment. Hmph.

He realised he couldn't focus on that part too much, but he cleaned the rest of the telescope just as thoroughly with his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth in concentration. Now he needed to dry it, so Jake, forgetting he could summon a one, got up in search of a freshhhhh towel.

After a minute or so had gone by the Gryffindor dipped his towel back into the solution, he began to think to himself, 'Where do you even get telescope cleaning solution? It's such a random product. Was there a specific cleaning solution for everything like a clock-cleaning solution, a plate cleaning solution, or Wireless Wizarding Radio cleaning solution?' The possibilities were endless.

Shaking his head from his mind-numbing reverie, Riley began to rub the solution all over the telescope again with clock-wise motions until it was completely covered.

So they weren't going to learn anything astronomical during the lesson. Simon guessed it should have been expected seeing as Professor Hadley wasn't the astronomy professor although he didn't know her full background so he couldn't fully judge. Getting up from his seat, Simon followed the rest to get a telescope of his own before following to the back of the classroom as instructed. He listened to what was being said and when the inistructions were presented before them, looked them over as well so he knew what to do before he started.

Clean towel...add solution to it, he mused pouring a small amount onto the cloth as it ran things over in his mind. Simon then apllied it to the telescope, gently wiping it along the instrument and making sure to make it an even layer as possible. "Now to wait," he added quietly aloud. When a minute had passed, the sixth year applied another layer on both the lens itself and the telescope housing and mechanics. His hand moving in smooth counterclockwise motions.

Jaina smiled at Charley. "Yeah, thanks. Guess I should have written them down first, huh?" She began to rub in the same direction with a fresh towel to dry it. She then put on the second coat of cleaner and waited again. "So how many coats would be good? I mean, I know al the dust and stuff is gone, but what if it takes like a gazillion coats?? we'd be here all day!"

Step 5! step 5! step 5!
Almost done! thought Emily as she looked down at the instructions once more.
Emily inspected her telescope, searching over it not once, not twice but three times just to make sure she didn't miss anything.... and she didn't it was perfectly clean, no more dust, no more grime. Clean!

Taking the bottle of holding cream, Emily sprayed a thin layer of it over the scope... apparently this would protect it from future 'dust outbreaks'.... where they actually outbreaks?... as in disease outbreaks... like suddenly breaking out. Surprising us all with the dust!
DUST OUTBREAK! yelled a voice in her head... she found this ammusing.
Was she really supposed to believe that there were in fact... "dust"..."outbreaks".............................. ........ strange.

Who needed a clean telescope anyways?! It wasn't like there was a shortage of star-gazers out there. What was Hogwarts training up a Telescope weilding league that he had missed the announcement for? Sighing, yet again, the digruntled sixth year grabbed a new towel from the stack Professor Hadley had left them and began to rub the applied cleaning solution in the same direction as before.

Sadly enough after all the effort he had put into it Definately not all he could have put in the telescope was still not very clean. He was going to have to do the dreaded number four task of 'Repeat steps 1-3 as necessary'.

>.<

Okay, Step 4 - or 1, as it was really...
She took up her cloth, slapped more cleaner on, and began rubbing. Again.
She didn't mind it that much, but it was beginning to make her fingers, wrists, arms, shoulders, and back ache...
Still, it had to be done, so she persevered, wiping it gently over the lens and eyepiece again. These, of all the components must be clean and smear-free... After all, you wouldn't really want your very own nebula to be a speck of snot, or a dessicated fruitfly now... Would you?

Last step!

Feeling excited that she was almost finished Emily looked down at her parchment- for hopefully the last time. She wasn't a fan of maintenence and cleaning work, she was more the wave a wand and say a spell kind of girl.

So now....... she had to wait? was hat it? she just had to wait for step 5 to dry?
Well that was easy, she thought to herself.
WAIT!... whats this? it can take up to 24 hours!

So.. that was it. she was done?
Emily looked around at her peers, most of them were still working on their telescopes, though a couple looked as if they had also finished.

Taking a seat Emily waited for the Professor to assign them another task... or was that it?

Nika grabbed a new towel and started to rub clockwise. The telescope was slowly drying and Nika felt satisfaction. She looked at the shine, but then read step number four and realized that she would have to repeat because it wasn't completely finished. Great.

Annabelle wanted to make sure before she put in into her notebook, "Professor isn't orion's belt a constellation?" she asked curiously.
Annebelle got a telescope and immediatley went to work cleaning it, She found and used the cleaning solution provided in the class and appled with a soft cotton towel. she put a light layer on the towel before using it. "Hmmm this is quite relaxing." Belle thought. She was used to cleaning by now. Next she allowed the telescope to air dry for a minute. she admired the dark nightsky and just loved being in the astronomy tower. But before applying another coat of cleaning solution and rubbing it onto the looking glass and all over the telescope, she kept rubbing clockwise circular motions and continue until she went all over the scope. She didn't mind cleaning the telelscope because she knew she could see the stars clearly once she is finished.

As Sierra continued to work, her displeasure over having to clean yet another piece of equipment slowly began to fade away. By this point, she really just wanted to finish up and be done with all her classes for the day. Not that she had much free time, though, anyway. As soon as she was done here, she had to head right back to the common room to get started on the mountain of homework she had.

Blahh.

After a good minute had passed, Sierra started on part two of the cleaning process. Step two wasn't a far cry from step one--she was really only applying a second coat of cleaning solution onto the telescope. Her towel moved in clockwise circular motions as she spread the solution all over the telescope.

Ughh. Her arm was starting to hurt! Why, again, could they not use magic to do this?!

Sierra worked her way up to the glass part of the telescope, and she rubbed it down with solution, as well. With that done, the entire second layer had been applied. Two down, three to go.

Charley applied the second layer of the cleaner as well then laid down the towel, all practically in stride with Jaina.
"I'm not sure. I suppose when it looks to be done. I don't think we'd be doing it in class if it took terribly long; Professor Hadley knows we all have lessons after this."
She started drying her telescope for the second time.

Dragging another new towel over to his work area, Riley dipped it into the cleaner again and this time used some real elbow-grease and watched as the dirt and dust began to really come off. He was kicking himself now for thinking that minimum effort was going to get him places.

Acomplishing the task of getting the telescope covered was over quickly and he then began step two again, by using another towel to rub the stuff in with a clockwise motion after it had sat for a minute. Finally he got another towel and rubbed the sadly-repetitive cleaner fully into the body and lense of the telescope with the same clockwise motions. It was about time he could get to step five!

With the cleaning in steps one and two done, Simon picked up a clean cloth and began drying the whole instrument. The boy once more making sure to get into every nook and crannie to keep any moisture from doing any damage if it was left to its own devices. Then looking it over, he wasn't fully satisfied with the cleaniness. So using the second towel since the first was all dirty already, Simon went back to step one adding another layer of cleaning solution.

Leave me to find one of the more dirty telescopes, he mused to himself as he worked.

Holding cream souded like some sort of messy, gooey hair stuff that you would get at Madame Primpernelle's in Diagon Alley. Probably was. "Hey Professor Hadley, did you get this holding cream in Diagon Alley?" *sneaky* The Gryffindor sounded innocent enough, he really just wanted to see if she was a bargin shopper and used things for multiple purposes.

Waiting for a reply, Riley eagerly sprayed the entirity of his telescope with the indicated cream that would keep the pesky dust and dirt monsters off of his clean shiny telescope. He didn't work hard for nothing! He propped the finished product up to allow it to dry and then waited for further directions and a response from the semi-Astronomy Professor.

Sierra discarded the towel she'd been using and replaced it with a fresh one. She was only on step three, but she'd already grown tired of rubbing blasted towels all over the telescope! At least after this step, she'd be more than halfway through, and that thought alone gave her enough determination to keep going.

With the fresh towel in her hand, she began moving her hand around in clockwise circular motions. She was meant to be drying the layers of solution off the telescope, and so she leaned in a bit closer to see if it looked like the solution was drying up. Thankfully, it was! She'd hate to have to do this longer than expected! She continued to move the towel over all parts of the telescope, all the while checking to make sure she was drying up all the solution. It took her nearly ten full minutes to get it all dried up, but she'd eventually completed task three.

She made a face at her arm. It was really starting to hurt now!

Well. Step two certainly didn't take that long.

Not.

Destiny could have read her Potion's textbook front to back twice in the same amount of time it took to apply the VERY smelly cleaning solution to the telescope. She might have even had more fun reading that book. But just because she thought it would be more fun to read than clean, didn't mean she was going to prove it or anything.

Once she was FINALLY finished with step two, she glanced at the directions. She had to dry it!? And then repeat the process!? Merlin, Professor Hadley was out to get her hand or something. It was surely going to fall off any minute.

Throwing her dirty towel down on the table in front of her, out of FRUSTRATION!! Destiny picked up a clean one and started to dry the telescope.

Hopefully, HOPEFULLY, she didn't HAVE to repeat the process.