NOVEL NEXT Chapter 56: CH54:Astronomy
Note:
I Hope you guy's have been enjoying the upload schedule.Also as I said in the past let me know if there is any lore inaccuracy or spelling error.
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The Astronomy Tower is Hogwarts' tallest tower, and astronomy classes are taught at the top of it.
Astronomy is a rather peculiar subject. There isn't a uniform textbook for it. Students only need to bring binoculars, a quill, and parchment to class.
The Astronomy Tower is extremely tall, and the students heading to the top for class experienced it firsthand.
Everyone climbed the spiralling stairs, unsure of how many floors they ascended. The effort left them dizzy and slightly out of breath.
"What floor is it?" Alia asked, panting.
"The eighth floor," George replied, pointing to a portrait of a drunk knight nearby. He grinned and added, "Last time Fred and I came here, we saw this guy drunk, falling into the river and almost drowning."
"How can a character in a portrait drown?" Angelina asked incredulously.
"Who says they can't? Watch closely!" Fred said mischievously. He cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted at the knight's portrait, "Ah!"
To their surprise, the drunk knight appeared startled. He panicked, ran wildly, and finally fell into the river depicted in the portrait. The knight flailed in the water before sinking. A woman in a neighboring portrait frantically called for help, trying to rescue him.
The group was dumbfounded, mouths agape at the bizarre scene.
Soon, they had to hurry upstairs because Fred's antics annoyed nearby portraits, which glared at them dissapprovingly.
"It's almost there," George gasped. After what felt like an eternity, they reached the top of the tower.
"It's such a long climb. Luckily, we had time," Albert said, glancing at his pocket watch.
"If it rains tonight, will the astronomy be canceled?" George wondered aloud, thinking about how the stars would be obscured.
"Who knows? I bet we'd just get a ton of homework instead," Angelina said, pushing open the wooden door to the Astronomy Tower.
Professor Sinistra was already waiting at the top. She had just finished teaching a class.
After dark, the wind atop the Astronomy Tower was strong, so everyone huddled in a corner to chat. The Hufflepuff students had yet to arrive and were nearly late.
"They probably got lost," George said smugly, hoping Professor Sinistra would deduct points from them.
But George's hope was dashed when Cedric Diggory and the Hufflepuffs arrived just in time.
"It was hard to find this place. We were almost late," Cedric said, out of breath, as he greeted the group.
"All right, everyone, come over here. Class is about to begin," Professor Sinistra said, drawing the students' attention. She stood next to an object covered by a canvas.
"I know astronomy is unfamiliar to most of you, and this class is here to teach you," she began, pulling back the canvas to reveal what was beneath.
Under the cover was a small model of the solar system encased in a glass dome. It was stunning. At the center was a glowing sun, surrounded by nine planets and their satellites, all suspended and shining within the glass.
"This is the solar system. We live here," Professor Sinistra explained, pointing to Earth. "Your task this semester is to learn how to use telescopes to observe the night sky and identify the locations of the nine planets."
For many students, particularly those from wizarding families, celestial bodies were a novel concept. Albert doubted whether they even knew the name of the planet they lived on.
Professor Sinistra used her wand to demonstrate the movement of planets and introduced the solar system. She explained how to draw star charts and mark the planets' names and positions.
To Albert, the task was simple. However, for others, it was a challenge to retain all the information.
"That's Mars, not Jupiter," Albert said, correcting Fred's mistake. George wasn't doing much better.
After finishing their solar system diagrams, the professor taught them how to find the planets in the galaxy.
Wizard telescopes were remarkably effective, likely due to magic, offering a much clearer view than Muggle versions.
"Can you see Mars yet?" Shanna asked, peering into Albert's telescope.
Finding Mars proved difficult for the group, particularly for those unfamiliar with using telescopes. Adjusting the focus took time.
"I haven't found it yet," Albert admitted. Even though he followed Professor Sinistra's guidance, distinguishing Mars amidst a sky full of stars wasn't easy.
Professor Sinistra walked around, checking the students' telescopes and correcting their errors.
Albert's thoughts wandered briefly. "Could magic enable wizards to travel to space?" he wondered. The idea seemed far-fetched given the small number of wizards in the world and the limited resources for such pursuits.
Shaking off the thought, Albert returned his focus to the telescope, admiring the starry sky.
Before the class ended, Albert hadn't managed to locate all nine planets, but he wasn't concerned. The primary goal of the lesson was to introduce students to astronomy and teach them how to use telescopes. Professor Sinistra's homework was straightforward: memorize the planets' names and approximate locations.
"It's almost curfew. We'd better head back," Lee Jordan reminded the group.
"I'm a bit hungry. I'll stop by the kitchen to grab some food," Albert said, checking his pocket watch. There were still twenty minutes left before curfew.
"Wait, we'll come with you!" Fred and George said quickly, handing their backpacks to Lee Jordan. "Don't worry, we'll bring something back for you."
"You guys..." Lee grumbled, shaking with frustration as the three disappeared. "You're all... jerks! Wait for me! Don't leave me alone!"
The End.
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GIve me some stones will ya young wizards? +_+