Astronomy (All houses and all years)

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

It was a clear night, not too cold and not too warm. There weren’t any clouds in sight, which meant that it was a good night for looking at the stars. Laryssa had looked at the forecast for the rest of the week and tonight was the only night that it was going to be clear enough to see the stars, so she figured they would gaze at the stars the first class and get a basic overview and then the rest of the week during the following days they would do indoor class work. Laryssa walked up toward the top of the hill, watching the ground as the light flickered across from the floor torches. Her robes, which were a deep navy blue with silver specks of glitter around the hem and sleeves, floated over the ground as she continued her way up to the top of the hill where she had magically charmed tables – about 6 of them – with telescopes on them because she knew there were going to be students who didn’t get one. It wasn’t going to stay that way though, students would eventually have to buy their own telescope or give her some money to rent one of hers. Laryssa had been told numerous times that she was a hard teacher to have, but she didn’t think so. And if she was a hard teacher, than it just made her students that much better – that much closer to being the best. It wasn’t that Laryssa didn’t want her students to like her, it was just that there was a time and a place for being a friend and that wasn’t during class time.

Laryssa took out her wand and flicked it, and in the front of the room a chalkboard appeared with lights above it so it was easy to see. She nodded, satisfied, and made her way to the front of her ‘makeshift’ classroom. On the actual classroom door she had put a note stating all students should arrive at the hill immediately, class would be conducted out there instead of in the normal class room. She also reminded them that they must have all materials and be prepared for class, otherwise house points will be deducted. On nights where the class was being held outside, Laryssa made it a point to let her students know things like that ahead of time so they know they need a cloak or a coat. If the student didn’t have it the first couple of times, Laryssa would lend them one – but every time after that she would tell them they were out of luck and continue on with the lesson. Many students had actually hated Laryssa while she was teaching, but she was used to being called the mean teacher – being called the wicked witch of the school. It wasn’t anything new. And since this was her first year teaching at Hogwarts, she wondered how the students would take to her here. Maybe they wouldn’t be as harsh as the other students, or maybe they would be worse. That was one of Laryssa’s biggest fears, the students being worse at Hogwarts than they were at another wizarding school.

She was shaken from her thoughts as students began arriving; Laryssa tucked some of her light brown hair behind her ear and sent a calm smile to each student who sat down. When all the seats were full she held up her arms as if she were welcoming them into an embrace and spoke with such authority it almost made her shiver, “Welcome, class, to Astronomy. Most of you probably signed up for this course because you thought it would be easy, but let me assure you that it is quite the opposite. In fact, this will probably be one of your toughest classes you will ever take in your Hogwarts career.” She smiled again, this time brighter than before, and brought her arms behind her back and clasped her hands. “This class will require you to do everything in your power to understand as much as you can about the stars and planets, which we will only touch briefly. This year will be focused mainly on the constellations and the life of a star. I know you have all received a supplies list already, and hopefully you have all purchased the necessary items. If you have not purchased a telescope, tonight you may use one of mine – but only for tonight.” Laryssa flicked her wand a piece of paper appeared in front of each student, “This is your syllabus. Read it, memorize it, and live by it. If you do not know this syllabus you will not pass this class.” She raised an eyebrow at the crowd of students and then continued; “You should all have the required textbooks. ‘The Stars and Their Wonders’ Volumes I and II. If you do not, tell me now and I will give you three days to get them. If you do not have them in three days, House Points will be deducted. The rules are rather simple in this class; respect me, my belongings, other people, and their belongings; do not cast any unnecessary spells, and since this is Astronomy – spell casting is rather unnecessary; never be late, if you are late house points will be deducted – sometimes more than 10 if you are late more than once; turn in your homework on time, if you have missed an assignment you can come after classes for one hour per assignment to get 70% of the grade back; and do not speak out in class unless we are having a discussion.” She sent them a harsh look and then smiled again, “Are there any questions?”

Laryssa stood up there for a few moments before turning toward the chalkboard and flicking her wand. Immediately a drawing of the night sky appeared on it. She turned back toward the class; “You have ten minutes to name all of the constellations you can see in this drawing. Do not use the sky above you as a resource because those are the wrong constellations.” She looked at her watch and then nodded, “Begin.”

((Now, bare with me people. Laryssa is a hard teacher, and I know most of the classes on site are really easy to post to – but this isn’t going to be so. Laryssa will ask questions that are within the textbooks [which can be found here] and the students will be expected to answer them. Correct answers will receive 5 points. I have put this up early because I am not sure if I will be able to get it up on time. Also, the constellations that the students might be able to see can be any contellations. They do not have to be in a specific hemisphere quite yet.))

[janetkerkman]

Leah walked in the corridors. Astronomy was today and she couldn't wait. She stopped at a door and opened it. "Hi professor Miller." Leah said as walking to a desk. She sat down and waited for class to begin.


(( Sorry so short, I've been having fevers that got as high as 104 degrees. I have strep throat, pink eye, and an infection. So I don't feel to good and I trying to keep up with my characters.))

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

((Well, I was hoping to get more students if I waited a bit longer - but I think four days is long enough for entrances. If you want your character to still participate in this class, then post your character already had arriving. Understand?

And Leah, in the future I ask you to read the whole post, for it contains vital information to what is going on in the class. If you did read the post, I ask you to read it carefully and reply in a manner that would actually make sense. This class was held outdoors.))

Laryssa smiled as she watched the students write down as many constellations as they wanted. She enjoyed seeing the students minds at work. It was interesting to see what habits some students had, and what habits others did. One girl, with red hair, bit the end of her quill - getting a mouthful of feathers. It would have made Laryssa laugh if it was the time and place for it. She looked at her watch and then nodded, two more minutes. THis was what she lived for. Classes. She loved to teach, and although she is known by some rather foul names - she knows she is a good teacher. Even at such a young age. Laryssa sometimes wonder if her reputation with the students went to the other teachers, and that's why she had hardly any interaction with any of the other teachers... she wasn't sure. But she hoped Hogwarts would be quite different than her other schools.

"Alright. Time. Please place your writing utencil down. Raise your hand if you would like to name a constellation. All I ask is, you tell me your first and last name, your house, and your year before answering." Laryssa smiled sharply, and then waited for some hands to raise.

[Colin Morgensen G7]

Colin Creevey stared unenthusiastically out at the grounds. He could see the specks that represented tables and possibly people out on a hill. Yup, that's where they were holding Astronomy today. It was a nice day; a little chilly, as always. Colin let his breath fog the window as he leaned his forehead against the cool pane. His breath was hot and moist against his face and it seemed to accumulate on his lashes. Blinking, he slowly traced letters on the newly made fog on the pane. Caitlin. He immediately wiped it away with his sleeve. He missed her even though they often caught glimpses of each other in the common room, but he shouldn't let himself get too attached. They would be separated most of the year. He had to get used to that fact. After all, he had spent a whole summer away from her. Now he couldn't stop thinking about her.

Tearing his gaze away from the window, Colin gathered his things mindlessly; already it had become routine. Six long years at this school, five enjoyable ones. His last one had been, well, to put it simply - hell. He had gotten tortured both physically and emotionally. His innocence had been ripped away from him; he no longer looked at the world with the happy, go-lucky, hopeful way he had grown up with. He had peeled that layer of skin away, and now he was cold and helpless. He felt alone in the world, like it was far too big for him. Where was his place in something so big? What difference did his life make? He often thought of these things when he had free time, especially during sleepless nights. He always had time for reminiscing. Even if he'd rather not.

The walk to Astronomy seemed endless; the hill never appeared to get any closer, though in his mind, Colin knew that was impossible. He looked down, watching each blade of grass pass beneath his feet until he heard noise. Class noise. Not very loud or sudden; more like a low, hardly distinguishable hum. The rustle of papers, the shifting of feet and chairs, the sighs and mumbles. Colin looked up and saw himself a few feet away from a cluster of tables with only a few students sitting there. His eyes immediately went to the Professor - she was new this year. He wondered what she was like, how she taught, and what she thought of students. Every teacher had a different outlook. He gave her a friendly smile, rubbing his cold hands together. The jacket covering him was supposed to be for warmth, but it couldn't keep all the cold out.

He sat down at one of the empty tables and took out his things silently, disappointment weighing every movement down. Caitlin wasn't here. Maybe she would come? Maybe not. Colin kept on glancing at the school, hoping to hear footsteps approaching or see a dot in the distance slowly move this way. He wanted to see her, talk to her, laugh with her. Anything. He stared at his assortment of things in front of him. The Astronomy book, the quill and paper. They all seemed unfriendly inanimate objects, cold and distant. He picked up his quill, fiddling with it as Professor Miller introduced herself with a speech. He listened to most of it, though his eyes were mainly trained on the castle, and recognized that she was going to be a strict teacher. Like a younger McGonagall. Weird. When she was done, starting off the class with a quick exercise, Colin immediately got to work.

After a few moments that were filled with the scratching of quills on paper, Miller announced that time was up and that they could share their writing. Colin raised his hand slowly, moving his fingers a bit to keep warm. Participating in class hadn't been one of the things he was keen to do, but after hearing Miller talk, Colin suddenly had an interest in testing her out.

((Apologies for the lateness, Professor. Won't happen again. Life just took advantage of me, but I'm hoping to get some charries I promised you here. ))

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

Caitlin's feet carried her through the corridor, as she raced to her next class. Her timetable had gotten all messed up. Somehow, Astronomy had gotten replaced with Herbology - which she knew she wasn't taking, and she had to fix it with Dumbledore. She finally had, and now she had two minutes to get to class before she got points deducted. It was the last thing Caitlin wanted to do, start the year off with points in the negative. Her brown hair blew behind her as she made her way to the classroom, knowing that it was outside. She was in her skirt and shirt with her vest, but no cloak - not having much time to get it, after all. But the cold didn't seem to faze her as she raced toward the set of desks and chairs with dots that were forming into people sitting in them. She reached the 'classroom' just as the professor was starting to welcome the class. Caitlin sent her an apologetic smile and made her way quickly toward the empty seat near Colin. She put her rucksack down, taking out a quill, inkpot, and parchment as Professor Miller continued to talk. When she was finished, giving them a quick assignment - Caitlin started in on it immediately.

Andromeda, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Canes Venatici, Cassiopeia, Delphinus, Dorado, Gemini, Hydra, Lynx, Pegasus. This was her element, her place. Astronomy was Caitlin. When she was finished and had put a period at the end of her list, she ripped off a half of sheet of parchment and dipped her quill in the ink and then wrote; Hogsmeade this weekend, lunch at 3 broomsticks? And slid it over to Colin, knowing full well she might get caught with the note - but hoping the professor would be a bit lenient on her considering it was the first day. She didn't really care, though, she needed to spend some time with Colin. She did miss him, no matter how much time was taking from her - she did think about him constantly. It was said that sixth year was the hardest year, and so far that rumour was proving itself true. Caitlin sent Colin a small, but very bright, smile just as Professor Miller called time and gave instructions on how to answer the question. Colin's hand rose, and Caitlin raised her hand as well.

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire was tired and fed up and she wanted her bed. But she had Astronomy now. It was bound to be quite cold outside, and she was already tired which was making her feel colder. So Sapphire found a warm woollen cloak and wrapped it around herself, over the black jumper she'd just put on in addition to her normal school uniform (including jumper). She was wearing a pair of black jeans already, preferring that to a school skirt and tights for going outside at night - they were warmer. Now having pulled a pair of fairly low-heeled boots on, she set off for class, her bag quite light. She set off outside without going to check the indoor Astronomy classroom again - she'd seen the note there in passing earlier on this evening. She would be on time to the lesson, but not early. Astronomy was one of Sapphire's very favourite subjects, but she hadn't felt like turning up to any lessons early today. Her attitude to work seemed to be changing all the time right now. It was very unpredictable - and Sapphire couldn't work it out either. She just went along with it, confident that she would always be hard-working enough to get the grades she wanted, even if she didn't always enjoy her classes as she would have liked to ideally.

Sapphire arrived on time, and the Professor started talking soon after. Professor Miller - she was new this year. Sapphire had got on all right with Professor Sinistra, but that was just because she did, not because she was the kind of person who did their very best to get teachers on their side. Still, it was interesting to see the way a new teacher operated. Sapphire was rather amused to see the formal layout of desks straddled across the hillside but yet she sat down and listened to the Professor, looking at the chalkboard and identifying the constellations and thinking about the stars they contained absent-mindedly as she did so. This teacher could easily be put into the category of a strict teacher who could be nice, could be extremely nasty to those she didn't like, and couldn't care less about being seen to have favourites. Such were Sapphire's first impressions, anyway. She wrote down her own list without any fuss, and when she was done she gazed at the stars above. It was clear tonight, which was why it was chilly, and also why they were out here tonight. Sapphire looked at the specks of light. Did that star exist or not? For all she knew, it might have died millennia ago, because the light she was seeing had taken that long to reach her eyes. Sapphire looked at Professor Miller as she started speaking again and raised her hand in accordance with instructions.

((Sorry Professor, much the same story as Colin - this week even four days didn't give me enough time.))

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack layered on the clothes, knowing full well that it was cold outside. Astronomy being held outside wasn't at all a very fun idea; in fact, he could see himself now, shivering in a seat uncontrollably. Ah yes, wonderful image, that. Wonderful imagination he had too. He fumbled with the buttons to his jacket, hesitating when it came up to his new Prefect badge. The thing seemed to weigh fifty tons and was always reminding Jack that it was there. Raise your hand, Jack, it would remind him. Do your duties. Hah, yeah, like that was going to happen. He wasn't even sure why Dumbledore had chosen him as a Prefect - couldn't he see how wrong that was? Sure, Jack had imagined it being all good and glorious being a Prefect and all, but now that he was one, it was more of a burden. He shrugged and buttoned his jacket all the way, covering it. Father wouldn't be pleased, but he wasn't here to see.

He trudged his way over to the hill top where all the students and desks had congregated. Jack seriously wondered if the Professor had plans to freeze them all tonight. Well, okay, it wasn't that cold, but class would be a lot more comfortable inside. Couldn't they have sat in the Great Hall and stared at the ceiling? It reflected the sky just the way it was out here. Grumbling to himself, Jack kicked a clod of dirt as he approached the tables and found that no Slytherins had come yet. Great. So much for Mack being here, or Mary, or Kennedy or... anyone! Padme even. He sat down at an empty table, avoiding looking at anyone else as he took out his things. His neck hurt and his head throbbed; please make this an easy class! He doubted that though, after the new Professor Miller introduced herself. Jack raised an eyebrow as she immediately set up the rules about class and such - it was like being a first year again. Well, okay, so there was some first years here, but still. Jack sighed as she let them get to work, but picked up his quill and began to scribble all the constellations he could think of.

When she announced time was up, Jack gratefully put down his quill. His list wasn't very long - it had been a long day - and he really didn't want to raise his hand. But when he saw practically everyone else's hands shoot into the air, he didn't want to be the only one sulking in the corner. His fingers traced the line of his Prefect badge, which appeared to be just a bulk under his clothes, while his other hand raised into the air reluctantly.

[Celia Richmond]

Celia put on her warm, winter cloak and made her way outside. She had already gone to the trouble of going to the Astonomy tower, only to see a note saying that the lesson would be outside. This meant that she'd had to go all the way to the other side of the castle, to the Ravenclaw tower, to pick up her cloak. At this rate, she'd be late. But hopefully not too late, as she'd planned to be early in the first place. So she picked up her cloak and telescope from her trunk, and made her way down the 7 flights of stairs to the ground floor, out of the castle and over to where she could see a makeshift classroom in the distance.

She arrived to find six students already there, from a pretty varied mixture of houses and years, but nobody she really knew. She recognised Sapphire, in the year above her and alse a Ravenclaw, and nobody else, so she decided to sit with her. Besides, she always liked making new friends. "Hey", she said, as she approached the table and placed her bag on the table, getting her textbook and parchment with quill out, and waited for Professor Miller to say something.

She didn't have a long wait. Before long, she had magically drawn a picture on the chalkboard at the front of the class, and asked them all to write down all the constellations they could see. She pondered over this for a while, and ended up with a list of 6 constellations. After 10 minutes, Professor Miller asked the class if they'd like to say any of the constellations they could see. Celia warily put her hand in the air, hoping that if she was picked, she had at least one constellation right. Astronomy had never been one of her best subjects.

((Sorry it's late-like Sapphire I've just not had much time. My apologies.))

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

((Excellent! It's alright, even though you posted later you still said your students arrived on time. Don't worry about apologizing OOC - I know how busy life gets. ))

As students hands began to rise, Laryssa counted at least 5 students who would like to answer the question. With a small smile, Laryssa nodded to a girl with dark hair in Ravenclaw robes (Sapphire), "Just give me a few, I'm going to try and get some from the other students as well. After she's answered, you can give me a few (Colin), then you (Celia), then you (Caitlin), and you (Jack)." Laryssa smiled to herself, quite pleased students wanted to participate in class. She leaned against the desk she had conjured up for herself, while listening for the constellations she was fond of.

What the students didn't know, was by the end of the year - they will be able to recite almost every single constellation. If they read their syllabus then they would know, but Laryssa wondered how many would actually do that. Some like to keep class a surprise, but Laryssa didn't go for that. Surprises in her class rarely ever happened. She never gave pop quizzes, and all her tests were planned. She gave out study sheets so they were well prepared, there couldn't be any way they could fail any of her tests unless they just didn't study.

((I just realized that if you guys posted in that order it might take awhile. So, I've decided that whoever is on first - can post their answer first just saying that someone before them had already answered. As long as it is okay with everyone else. I Just wanted to give everyone a fair chance and I wanted all of you to be able to answer. ))

[Sapphire Phoenix R7]

Sapphire sat up from her slightly slumped position (easier to look upwards from) when the teacher called on her and glanced down at her list briefly before, as instructed, citing a few of the constellations she'd listed there from the blackboard. "I noticed Hercules, the Hunting Dogs and Cancer," she said, glancing first at the blackboard to see whether she could find them again in a moment to check and then back at Professor Miller.

[aleatha]

((ooc. I hope this is ok, but my character is going to turn up late, because it's rather in her nature to do so))

Aleatha wondered why on earth she'd decided to take astronomy when it was held in the middle of the night. She spotted the class at the top of a rise on the school grounds, indeed, it would be hard to miss them with their conjured classroom sitting there for everyone to see, and began to made her way over.

"Sorry for my lateness, Miss," she said sleepily, not a hard task for a girl like Aleatha who spent most of her time pretending she was about to nod off in any case.

Taking a seat amongst her classmates, she leant her chin on one elbow and read the chalkboard from beneath her drooping eyelids as her golden hair cascaded down her arm and over the edge of the table.

[Colin Morgensen G7]

Colin started when he was called on, surprised and terrified that he was actually chosen. It seemed today that the Professor's had been lenient on him, or maybe he just didn't really raise his hand all that high. But with Caitlin beside him and a new teacher in front of him, what could it hurt? He knew that this Professor probably (hopefully) hadn't heard much (if anything) about the whole kidnapping ordeal. He knew that there was a chance that when he was looked at, neither pity nor apprehension would be in her eyes, like he had seen in so many others. Or so he hoped. Prayed, more like. Putting his slightly trembling hand down on the paper Caitlin had passed him, he looked down at his list and waited as the others answered. Since each of them had given about three, Colin decided that he should do likewise.

When it was his turn, Colin looked about at everyone, who was slightly turned in their seats, and wrung his hands under the table. "Well, I noticed that, uhm, I saw.... yeah, I saw Taurus, Pisces, and Centaurus." The answers came tumbling out of his mouth so fast Colin's face immediately flushed, and he looked down so no one would notice. It was strange how small of a thing can have such an effect. Colin continued to look down at his hands with interest, until he was sure everyone had moved on, and then he took Caitlin's note and read. It wasn't very long and complicated, but it made his heart beat a little faster. Dunking his quill in his ink bottle, Colin scribbled back, "I'd love to. Meet me in the common room Saturday?"

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack let his hand fall back down after the Professor had called on him. His fingers were a little cold at the tips, but other than that, he was very well off. He had a nice list of all the constellations in front of him, with enough that he was sure to have at least three that hadn't been said yet by others. Which worked well, considering he was last to have his say. Rubbing his hands together under the table, Jack waited impatiently as each person said their constellations. He checked off the ones on his list if someone else had already said them. While in this process, Jack noticed that some girl around Padme's age had gotten to class late. Late! Miller had already made it clear that she didn't tolerate tardiness. Sighing, Jack pleaded silently with the Professor to have sympathy for this silly little girl who couldn't make it to class on time. As long as she didn't take Points from Slytherin, all would be well.

He waited a few seconds after a girl about a year older than himself spoke before beginning. Many of his constellations had been marked off already but he still had three not taken. "I noticed Serpens, Gemini and Scorpious," he said, his voice never faltering. Father would have been proud.

[Caitlin Martinez G7]

Caitlin looked at the note Colin had passed back to her after he had answered the question. She smiled and read it before dipping her quill in the ink again and scribbling back, Lovely. Please, don't forget. She slid it back over and then looked up at the professor as she began to give her answer, "Caitlin Martinez, Gryffindor fifth year and I found Andromeda, Pegasus, Canis Major, and Canis Minor." She sent Colin a teasing look, hoping it would remind him that he hadn't said his name, neither had that other girl - Sapphire was it? But Caitlin didn't know her all that well, she could tease Colin all she wanted.

It was then a girl arrived late to class, getting points deducted from Slytherin already with only ten minutes into the class period. Caitlin shook her heaed and sighed, how stupid could people get?

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

((Celia, you can post your reply anytime after this and you will still receive points, I just need to continue with the class. Aleatha, if it is your wish to turn up to class late - that's fine with me. But remember that 10 points is deducted for every tardy and sometimes more so if you are late often.))

After only one student had answered, a girl arrived late to class. Laryssa's eyebrow rose as her eyes focused on the Slytherin badge above the girl's chest, "10 points from Slytherin," she said, "This is upsetting class, 10 points from a house already and we've literally just started class..." Laryssa sighed, rather angry at the girl, but she simply walked to the desk she had conjured to hold her papers and wrote down the name "Slytherin" and "-10" underneath that on a yellow legal pad that she had bought at a muggle store. She then returned to where she had been before, with the legal pad and quill in her hand and looked toward the girl who had just give her answer. "Excellent, but please remember to give your name, year, and house before answering. 5 points to Ravenclaw." She wrote "Ravenclaw" and "+5" on her paper beside Slytherin, before waiting for the next answer. Laryssa ended up rewarding 10 points to Ravenclaw, 10 to Gryffindor, and 5 to Sltherin. They all named at least 3 constellations and received their points for it nicely. Laryssa turned to face the board and then flicked her wand. The images changed to show an animation of a star being born. She faced the class once more, "Don't lost that parchment; before class begins every day, there will be an exercise on the board you will have to do. At the end of each grading period, I'll collect them and grade them. Now, take out a clean piece of parchment for notes."

Once everyone was situated, Laryssa flicked her wand again and the words The Birth of a Star appeared under the animation. "As I said when I was going over the syllabus," she sent the Slytherin girl who was late a rather sharp look, "you'll need to see me after class to get it and go over it with me, but as I said when I went over the syllabus," now she was addressing the whole class, "we will study the life of a star from beginning to end. We will start today with the birth of one." Her wand flicked and the words collapse, supernova shockwave, and clouds of dust and gas appeared on the board. "What is written on the board, are key words. You should use these keywords in any essays you are assigned. I will give notes orally and it is your job to take good notes, good enough to study from." Laryssa looked at the students to see if they had any objections, then smiled and continued, "The birth of a star begins with a collapse, a supernova shockwave can trigger it amongst many things. A collapse is something that will continue to go and go until something stops it. For example, an analogy of this would be..." Laryssa looked around and tapped a little Ravenclaw first year on the shoulder, "Please come up here and stand so your left side is facing the class, good, now I am going to wind this little toy car up," Laryssa produced a little wind up car and wound it before placing it on the ground and holding it still with one finger, "Now when I let go, the car should run straight at the same speed until it hits her." Laryssa let go and the car did as she said it would, "If she hadn't been there, the car could have gone on forever. It most likely wouldn't have, but hypothetically if it was a surface without any disturbances - it would go on and on and on and on. The collapse is something very similar to this."

Laryssa turned to the girl and smiled, "Thanks, 5 points to Ravenclaw, you make a wonderful disturbance." Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she flicked her wand again and the words "First stage of Stellar Life, tens of thousands of years old, Infrared Class 0" appeared underneath the keywords that were up there before. "Now, we've become aware of hwo the collapse works, maybe we should understand what it is... When a clump of material in the cloud begins to contract, the first stage of stellar life begins. As the particles in the clump get closer together the force of gravity between them increases. This in turn makes the star contract faster, pulling the particles closer together still, thus increasing gravity's pull further. At this stage the star is rather young, only tens of thousands of years old. You might think this to be rather ancient, but it isn't so in this case. This star is just a baby. Most of the material that will eventually make up the star is still quite far from the core and is very cool (10's of degrees Kelvin), producing emission only at millimeter wavelengths. This phase is called infrared Class 0."

Laryssa eyed the class a moment and crossed her arms as she leaned against a desk, "Pop question - What is the temperature in Celsius if it's 10 degress Kelvin? 5 points to who can get it right."

((SLYTHERIN:
-10
+5
RAVENCLAW:
+10
GRYFFINDOR:
+10
HUFFLEPUFF:

[aleatha]

Aleatha was about to do something very out of character, and had no idea how she was going to cover it up. Letting people think that she might have a brain was very strictly against Aleatha's personal code of conduct. Boys didn't marry girls with opinions, they married girls with legs.

Never-the-less, she felt that she had some ground to make up with this teacher, and probably with her housemates too, after losing twenty points in one afternoon. Aleatha lazily raised her hand to answer the question.

"Minus two hundred and sixty three point one five degrees celcius," she provided as her psyche winced.

Hopefully, her classmates would put this small deviation down to the lateness of the hour, or an inborn mathmatical ability, or a guess, or perhaps even cheating. Whatever they did, Aleatha definitely did not want them thinking she had any sort of intellect.

Hmm, Calyx had been a Ravenclaw, maybe she could tell people her sister had gone on to become an astronomer?

[Celia Richmond]

After Sapphire had said her answer, a Slytherin girl turned up late. Typical-there was always one...and just as they were getting ready to answer their questions.

After the others had said their constellations, Celia was ready. Luckily, only 3 of the ones she had found had been said, so she had 3 left to say. "Um...I think I saw Lepus, Grus and Hydrus..."

Once she had answered, "The Birth of a Star popped up on the board". Then some other various "Key Words" popped up, followed by a description of what happened. This involved the help of a 1st year Ravenclaw girl, and ended with 5 points being awarded.

Then a 3rd year Slytherin girl answered the latest question-something to do with Degrees Kelvin and Celcius...well, something she took a while to work out-astronomy had never been one of her best subjects, and it took a while for her to think what "ultimate zero" was...

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

Laryssa had been looking at some of the students, waiting for some hands to raise. Before they could do that, however, the Slytherin girl who had been late spoke. Granted, she raised her hand but she did not wait to be called upon. Laryssa's eyes fixed on the girl once again and shook her head in a disapproving way, "Yes, that's correct, but for future reference raise your hand and wait to be called upon. Because you did not do this now, I will not award you any points but I will not deduct any either." She sent the girl a stern look before turning to look at the rest of the class. "As you can tell, -236 degress Celsius is rather freezing. If 0 degrees Celsius freezes water, imagine how cold it would be -236 degrees." A smile appeared on her face as she flicked her wand and another set of keywords appeared, protostar, circumstellar envelope. "A protostar is a young star that has started its collapse but has not yet gotten clear of its circumstellar envelope. This envelope is opaque to optical light and thus protostars are generally invisible to ordinary telescopes. Most of what we know about protostars comes from observations at infrared and millimeter wavelengths."

"Protostars have ages of around 100,000 years and are still accreting material onto the central star. At this stage the protostar consists of a central condensation that will become the star, an accretion disk, and an envelope. Another important property of protostars is their outflows. In addition to matter falling on to the star there is also large amounts of material being ejected from the star in the form of powerful bipolar jets. These jets can be seen in Hubble Space Telescope images and are traveling at hundreds of kilometers a second. Bipolar jets are believed to be important for transporting excess angular momentum away from the star." Laryssa ran her fingers through her hair as she watched some students take notes and others not doing much of anything. They were not going to pass this class unless they took notes, and they would have to learn that the hard way on their first test which she had scheduled in about two weeks.

"Observationally, protostars are Class I infrared objects. This means that the infrared emission from the disk and envelope is dominated by the cooler material in the envelope. A few protostars have also been observed at X-ray wavelengths. X-ray emission may be an important source of ionization, allowing the star, disk and outflow to be coulpled by magnetic fields. Such magnetic fields may also be responsible for squeezing the outflow, producing the narrow jets seen above." Her voice was strong as she finished and she leaned against the desk in front of the board, waiting for everyone who were taking notes to finish taking them. When she saw almost everyone done, she flicked her wand and the board became blank. "Now, put your notes away, and give me a recap on what we've talked about today."

((Ravenclaw: +5))

[aleatha]

ERGH!
This woman was almost as bad as McGeek! Aleatha had made herself sound intelligent for no reason at all, and only because the stupid teacher was so strict about when one could or could not speak. This class wasn't made up of six year olds. There were barely any first years, even. She didn't need to rule with an iron fist. Aleatha doubted if she would turn up for future lessons. She felt like walking out of this one right now, but that would lose her another ten house points, no doubt.

[Professor Laryssa Miller]

((Alright, no one seems to have replied so I'll just wrap this up. Homework will be assigned.))

After a few students gave their idea of a recap of the class, Laryssa nodded and waved her wand. The homework assignment appeared on the board as well as indvidual copies of it for each student on their desks. "This is your homework. I want a two page essay over all we've learned today. You will turn it in once you have finished, but you have to have it finished between tomorrow and a fortnight. If you fail to turn it in, you will not pass this class." She gave them all a stern look. "You're dismissed." Laryssa sighed and watched them leave, wondering what they would dub her this year.

((Turn in the essay via PM to me. It's due by November 9th.))