Inanimate Animation for Photography

[Kenley Fields]

If you weren't used to it, the putrid smell would knock you over the moment you came into the classroom. However, Kenley had been working with the potions and muggle chemicals since she was a teenager. The smell was nothing new to her, and it usually stuck to her hair and clothing when she left the Academy at the end of the day. Kenley looked like a nerd standing over the four pans of chemicals in her stained apron, goggles, and hair up in a messy twist on top of her head. She had begun to stir the developer with the tip of her wand; making it turn from a deep purple to a red color. "Ugh, I can't stand this anymore. It's getting to be too much for me," Kenley waived her wand and turned the lights back on. Even though she didn't have any paper out, she had the lights off and the red light on. Kenley was a bit forgetful; so, she made sure to turn the lights off anytime she walked into the dark room. All photographic paper was light sensitive, and she didn't want to ruin any of it.

She left the dark room making sure to close the door behind her to keep the smell from escaping. The sunlight was streaming in through the windows of the classroom illuminating the tables and chairs. Several rows of string hung across the ceiling with clothespins attached. It was a good day to start classes. The Hogwarts' students seemed to be an enthusiastic crowd. She had watched them arrive the day before with their trunks and bags. Most of them were laughing happily as they got their cabin assignments at the galley. They were definitely better than the lot from Durmstrang. And, don't even get her started on those girls from Beauxbatons! Talk about persnickety and stuck up!

Kenley went to a nearby table where several wet photographs lay drying. The photographs showed different shutter and aperture variations. Each student would be shown how to use a camera, and how to to develop those photos. Most students got upset when they realized that they would have to learn the muggle method before they were shown how to animate the photos like most wizards preferred. However, the muggle method was required to get a wizarding photo. Muggles invented photography, wizards only made it a little better.


((FYI: This class will be mostly working the darkroom. We will have a second class that will explain camera apertures and shutter speeds.))

[Theo Darke]

Theo glanced around with interest. The first day of lessons and this was his first class. He had only signed up for one out of the four available options - Inanimate Animation for Photography. He assumed this meant the wizard style of photography, how they created photos with moving occupants, capturing not a picture but a moment. Wizards always liked to take things just that one step further than muggles. Then again, that was probably because they had the opportunity and know-how. Muggles were much more advanced in terms of technology, which wizards such as Theo had barely any knowledge of whatsoever. Theo had never been extremely arty, but like he had said to Oscar the other day in Diagon Alley, he loved creativity, and he wanted to try the course the moment he had heard about it. At the time it had also been a great excuse to spend time with Scott in particular, seeing as he would barely spend time with the Gryffindor in comparison to Lori over the summer. That could go to smoke now that Scott and Lori were an item; Theo just wanted to become invisible.

Theo knew Scott lived nowhere close to their homes, in Essex. Theo and Lori were rather segregated from most of their Hogwarts classmates, who lived in big cities such as London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and the like. Theo didn't like bustling places anyway, too used to peace and quiet and green pastures of meadows. The reason Theo had chosen photography was because it was an aspect of art that had always fascinated him. That and he was hopeless at drawing and ceramics, so he had ruled the other two out.

The day before had been the students' arrival and settling in. Sharing a cabin with Scott and Lori, Theo had felt somewhat oppressed, and had spent most of his time outdoors exploring and admiring nature, or taking refuge in other classmates' tents, carefully explaining that he wanted to "get away from the lovebirds". 'Lovebirds' was fast becoming Theo's nickname for them, even though when he said it the word tasted foul on his tongue, and he hated hearing himself uttering it. It disgusted himself. However, this class on photography was not one Theo expected to continue his growing obsession with disliking Scott and Lori's new relationship, so he focused on the instructor who arrived, a Miss Kenley Fields, he believed. She looked messy and colourful, just the way Theo had envisaged an art teacher. Already grinning in anticipation, Theo forgot his problems with Scott and Lori in their room.

Currently Theo took the second bunk, sleeping on the top, whilst Scott and Lori shared the other one; all their luggage had been dumped on the remaining bed, things like clothes strewn all over it. Theo was used to living with Lori; she wasn't messy, but she had a lot of clothes. Of course, she had brought an impressive selection in her large trunk to Llanrhystud Centre for Art, all set for the summer weather. Theo was glad he had only signed up for one class, meaning he had free time to enjoy his beautiful surroundings, but he was also worried he'd be forced to be with Scott and Lori all the time. However, there was also Oscar, whom Theo had greeted already upon arrival. He had been pleased to see the Gryffindor again. They were seeing a lot of one another.

Waiting patiently for the lesson to begin, Theo smiled around him, looking for familiar faces in the class. He spotted a few, dashed a couple of bright smiles their way, before his thoughts wandered back to Oscar. He had often found himself pondering over the Gryffindor boy, more so than Scott, which was saying something! It bothered Theo; it worried him. Theo didn't want to think he was obsessed with Oscar as well as Scott. His behaviour was beginning to scare even himself. If Theo did indeed have the beginnings of a crush on Oscar, then he would do his best to crush them, get rid of them entirely. They were stupid thoughts, ones that would threaten their friendship, which Theo did not want, certainly. He also knew there was no way Oscar would ever reciprocate such feelings, so it was up to Theo now to set them free. Resolute on this matter, he turned to Miss Fields as she began to conduct the lesson; he was glad of the distraction.