Astronomy Tower

[Holmesian Feline]

The highest point up in the tallest tower at Hogwarts
A perfect view to see the grounds all around and studying the subject of astronomy whose lessons reside within. Just don't be up here late at night when class isn't in session for the professor is always watching for students who shouldn't be here.

[Marion Burbage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

Will opened his mouth to respond but closed it again. Asking how a spectre as darling as Mrs Burbage was could indulge in food at all was probably very impolite so he let it be. At the mention of OWL studying a small grumble slipped out of Will’s mouth. "I study every evening after dinner for my OWLs. I just hope all the practise, and study will end in good grades on my exams in the end." Will was though not as organised as some who had constructed revision schedules, maybe he needed one too? Mrs Burbage brought his attention back to her as she offered that they could speak of her demise by a cursed weed at another time but he didn’t say yes or no to that.

Taking a seat Will did his best to hide his sigh of relief. "Thank you Mrs Burbage, I shall keep that in mind for future interviews." To not sit unless invited to do so was a tip to remember. Then Mrs Burbage began talking of broom racing and Will found himself sucking up every word. Broom racing sounded fast, fun and challenging. "In a broom race you race against other racers on a track or is it a team event? Or does everyone race against the clock to win the race?" Will really wanted to know. He’d have to share all this information with Char and Den later. They’d be so interested and excited too, he betted. Another thought came to mind. "If you broom race do you think you can combine that with playing for a quidditch team too?" If you could combine the two he’d be in sports heaven.

"Sports healing, will you become like a healer if you study that?" he wondered as he produced his notebook from his backpack, and scribbled down the degrees, as well as broom racing and flying instructor. "I’ve attended the summer quidditch camps every summer since I was old enough to start going to them. I didn’t know however that they’d let fifteen year old’s like me assist with coaching." Would he even suit for that? Will wouldn’t want to make a fool out of himself by coaching badly. He really hoped that Mrs Burbage saw him too as what she called a stud muffin because that’d be so uncomfortable. Hoping that his ears weren’t pink for thinking about stud muffins Will did his best to focus. "How did you know Mrs Burbage that teaching was the right career for you?"

Marion nodded. It was exhausting being a fifth year and even more exhausting being a seventh year based on examinations alone. Such a pity there was soooooooooo much emphasis on them and that they were such a defining aspect of the youth when it was only a tiny fraction of what they had to offer and what they could do. Marion's son had not been a particularly gifted test taker, his OWL and NEWT scores being rather abysmal, and entering university had only been by the grace of his charisma in an interview and his Hogwarts professors' recommendation letters. And now he was an important Ministry official in the Minister! "I dooooo hope you are not exhausting yourself too much, my dear," she cooed gently while reaching over to pat his shoulder. The shame about being a ghost was that limbs tended to pass through the limbs of the living and give the living an awful chill. Not intentional, dearie. She promises. "I have just the ticket to help with that though, which I will give to you after we go over other things."

She had come prepared with worksheets, after all.

Relaxing back into her seat, which meant she was floating stoically over the cushioned seat, Marion felt like a young lass all over again. The girl sitting in the stands waving a flag and making large posters for her favorite racer who absoluuuuuuuuuuutely had no time to be looking into the crowd to see what sorts of words were written in there worship. "Oh there are all kiiiiiiiinds of races. Some on a track and you just go arouuuuuuuund and around and around and arouuuuuuuund. It can be absolutely dizzying to behold. There are team races as well over long distances where the route can be through forests and over bodies of water and all sorts of breathtaking views. It is a competative sport, so you are racing against others. A more high stakes sort of race than you might have with you and your quidditch mates at practice or just for fun. Sometimes there were even students who created their own routes here at Hogwarts...ooooooh but I did not tell you that. Headmaster Winterbottom may not take too well to my encouraging you to do that...which I absolutely doooooo." She was no longer, technically, a professor here at Hogwarts and therefore not entirely obligated to remind students to stay within the rules. Hem hem.

"You could, but you could also simply gain a deeper understanding for your own body's needs when it comes to athletics. Each quidditch team and sports club does have their own personal team healers, after all," she nodded. Athletics were not siiiiiiimply about brawn and brutes, of course.

"Dooooooooo look into the coaching, Mr. Whitelaw," she smiled. "It was one of the first things you mentioned here in our little discussion, which means something, and would be worth a closer consideration." If he truly was interested in coaching in any capacity, it would be good to give it a whirl now to see how it suited him. "Oh, well, that is quite the difficult question I suppose. It began, perhaps, with this vague notion I had ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to be helpful. I always I always wanted to help the teacher, help my mother cook and clean, help my father repair the grandfather clock in our living room that just neeeeever seemed to want to stay repairs for long, help my friends with their assignments or whatever it was they may need help with. For a time I thought I wanted to be an auoror, because what could be more helpful than fighting crime! I hardly had the stomach for such a profession though, and I suppose it was meeting some teachers in my primary school and at Hogwarts professors that showed me there was a career in helping others that wasn't being an auror. I did not jump immediately into teaching, however, and dabbled about a bit in other fields of Astronomy first before returning to this childlike voice in my head that still did not feel satisfied in the help I was giving...so...I went into teaching and it was simply lovely."

[Nordic Witch]

SPOILER!!: Prof Burbage

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marion Burbage

Marion nodded. It was exhausting being a fifth year and even more exhausting being a seventh year based on examinations alone. Such a pity there was soooooooooo much emphasis on them and that they were such a defining aspect of the youth when it was only a tiny fraction of what they had to offer and what they could do. Marion's son had not been a particularly gifted test taker, his OWL and NEWT scores being rather abysmal, and entering university had only been by the grace of his charisma in an interview and his Hogwarts professors' recommendation letters. And now he was an important Ministry official in the Minister! "I dooooo hope you are not exhausting yourself too much, my dear," she cooed gently while reaching over to pat his shoulder. The shame about being a ghost was that limbs tended to pass through the limbs of the living and give the living an awful chill. Not intentional, dearie. She promises. "I have just the ticket to help with that though, which I will give to you after we go over other things."

She had come prepared with worksheets, after all.

Relaxing back into her seat, which meant she was floating stoically over the cushioned seat, Marion felt like a young lass all over again. The girl sitting in the stands waving a flag and making large posters for her favorite racer who absoluuuuuuuuuuutely had no time to be looking into the crowd to see what sorts of words were written in there worship. "Oh there are all kiiiiiiiinds of races. Some on a track and you just go arouuuuuuuund and around and around and arouuuuuuuund. It can be absolutely dizzying to behold. There are team races as well over long distances where the route can be through forests and over bodies of water and all sorts of breathtaking views. It is a competative sport, so you are racing against others. A more high stakes sort of race than you might have with you and your quidditch mates at practice or just for fun. Sometimes there were even students who created their own routes here at Hogwarts...ooooooh but I did not tell you that. Headmaster Winterbottom may not take too well to my encouraging you to do that...which I absolutely doooooo." She was no longer, technically, a professor here at Hogwarts and therefore not entirely obligated to remind students to stay within the rules. Hem hem.

"You could, but you could also simply gain a deeper understanding for your own body's needs when it comes to athletics. Each quidditch team and sports club does have their own personal team healers, after all," she nodded. Athletics were not siiiiiiimply about brawn and brutes, of course.

"Dooooooooo look into the coaching, Mr. Whitelaw," she smiled. "It was one of the first things you mentioned here in our little discussion, which means something, and would be worth a closer consideration." If he truly was interested in coaching in any capacity, it would be good to give it a whirl now to see how it suited him. "Oh, well, that is quite the difficult question I suppose. It began, perhaps, with this vague notion I had ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to be helpful. I always I always wanted to help the teacher, help my mother cook and clean, help my father repair the grandfather clock in our living room that just neeeeever seemed to want to stay repairs for long, help my friends with their assignments or whatever it was they may need help with. For a time I thought I wanted to be an auoror, because what could be more helpful than fighting crime! I hardly had the stomach for such a profession though, and I suppose it was meeting some teachers in my primary school and at Hogwarts professors that showed me there was a career in helping others that wasn't being an auror. I did not jump immediately into teaching, however, and dabbled about a bit in other fields of Astronomy first before returning to this childlike voice in my head that still did not feel satisfied in the help I was giving...so...I went into teaching and it was simply lovely."

So cooooooold! William couldn’t help but shudder as the chill of being touched by Professor Burbage passed through him, and he murmured up to her "Don’t worry Professor Burbage I don’t overdo my OWL revising, I know I need to have fun and relax too. I’d be very grateful for any exam tips you can give me though." Most of all he tried not to worry too much about the upcoming exams because he needed his beauty sleep.

Will looked on as Professor Burbage floated stoically over her chosen cushioned seat and next minute went into a very, very excited explanation of broom races. He leaned forward in his seat and took in every word that went over the ghost professor’s lips. At the mention of held races here at Hogwarts his brows shot up high and he asked with surprise "Hogwarts students did that? Wow! Do you think Headmaster Winterbottom would allow us to hold a short broom race around the grounds, if you Professor Burbage were supervising us? I’d really like to try broom racing. You make it sound so fun and cool!" His buddies would totally participate too.

"There are other healer careers too right aside from sports healing?" Will wondered thoughtfully. He knew healing was a big field, but he wasn’t exactly versed in what jobs you could have in the healing field and he wanted to know more about that even if his priority, and love was brooms and quidditch.

Will noted down coaching in his notebook as he listened to the story of how Marion had realised that she wanted to become a teacher. "It’s amazing to hear Professor Burbage. Not everyone is cut out to be good teachers though right?"

[sweetpinkpixie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DuckyLinJi

If Daniel could read minds, he would have nodded in agreement with her thoughts. It was like getting a puppy but wanting a pretty dress instead. Except, in this case, he wouldn't be asking for a dress. He shook his head at her questions because it wasn't about the color or animal with which the Houses were associated. "My favorite color is actually red" he replied. He didn't recall ever telling anyone this.

Had Anna just spoken sense? Had he misjudged her for being simple-minded "It's true that I shouldn't have had such high expectations." High expectations were usually met with disappointment in his experience.

Daniel was skeptical that she wasn't just dishing out compliments. Although receiving compliments was preferable to being reprimanded. He didn't get many compliments, particularly at home. It wasn't that he was scolded every day; his parents adored him. But instead of compliments, they usually showed their affection by sending him expensive gifts.

Just once in his life, he liked a genuine compliment rather than one thrown around for the sake of being nice.

"I apologize for that I said you had ulterior motives. That wasn't my intention. "I'm just..." tired.

Perhaps she was correct, and perhaps he was projecting. He'd think about it later because he was most impressed that she talked back to him. It definitely caused him to look in her direction for a brief moment rather than at the sky.

Maybe Anna Walles wasn't as annoying as he expected.

Daniel almost burst out laughing. Almost. To cover up his laugh, he put the inside of his elbow in front of his mouth and coughed. He too used to be terrible at saving money. He still remembered being grounded for weeks after getting in so much trouble for spending money on a secret room project in his bedroom. In his defense, he hadn't thought it was that much money.

"Who says you have to keep your money when you earn it?" especially since the money she'd be earning at Hogwarts would be a few Galleons at best. "In my opinion, you should sell those rainbow baskets and use the earnings to buy things for yourself." As his father would say, wealth is earned through property value increases and inheritances, not by saving money. "Unless you really want to save the money then I might have some tips"

Oh if ANNA could read minds...well...everyone would know everyone's thoughts because she just couldn't keep her mouth shut so it was really for the best that she wasn't. "Oooooooh, red is an amazing color! You know, I have a book about colors and what they MIGHT mean about a person who likes them. I say MIGHT because you really can't just box people in to being one thing so it is just an interesting take. There is also another book that assigns colors based on your date of birth and that's really interesting to read too. My birthday's color is horizon blue and the three adjectives assigned to it are generous, devoted, and sensitive...which I think are actually quite fitting for me and one of the compatible birthdays has a color of baked apple which is kind of a brownish red...probably not the red that you think of for your favorite color though. Red personalities though, at least according to that FIRST book I mentioned, are described as being dynamic and driven individuals...which...well...I obviously DON'T know you very well but my impression so far feels like that is pretty fitting."

Aren't you just so glad you shared your favorite color, Daniel?

"I mean...I think it is okay to have high expectations...especially since you are possibly a red personality...which probably means that when you meet those high expectations you are like...REALLY pleased with yourself and then when you don't it just hits all the harder. But then if you didn't have those big disappointments the non-disappointments wouldn't feel as good...give and take, right? It's like that one...that one thing said by Sir Fig Newton about opposites and all that." At least as far as her understanding went which...ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Sugar. A grain of sugar was more fitting for Anna.

She was no longer sad or exactly badger booming anymore, but instead had unlocked inquisitive mode while he spoke. "Actually...I think it was your intention to say that...or else why say it? You're just surprised I said something inquisitive that caused you to do a bit of self reflection," she replied thoughtfully. Or maybe she just needed to learn the hard lesson that not everyone actually meant what they said. Who knew? Certainly not her! "I accept your apology though, just so you know," she added with a smile.

Anna patted her pockets for a cough drop or something when he started doing all that - with how heavy her pockets were weighed down she ought to have at least one in there but it seemed like she just had a bunch of pebbles shaped kind of like a cough drop but sucking on one of those would only break his teeth and not soothe a cough. He seemed okay soon enough though so she wouldn't worry about that too much. "That might not be such a bad idea...I could finally buy the textbooks I was meant to buy over the summer but spent those galleons on other things instead," she nodded. Those other things including the very rainbow kits she had put together for the feast. "I didn't just bring my notebook for nothing! Ready, willing, and able to write down your words of wisdom!"

And she even wiggled her notebook and untucked the quill from behind her ear...only not it was caught on some of her hair. Not just caught but tangled up quite a bit. "Or I WILL be once I get my quill out of my hair."

[Marion Burbage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nordic Witch

So cooooooold! William couldn’t help but shudder as the chill of being touched by Professor Burbage passed through him, and he murmured up to her "Don’t worry Professor Burbage I don’t overdo my OWL revising, I know I need to have fun and relax too. I’d be very grateful for any exam tips you can give me though." Most of all he tried not to worry too much about the upcoming exams because he needed his beauty sleep.

Will looked on as Professor Burbage floated stoically over her chosen cushioned seat and next minute went into a very, very excited explanation of broom races. He leaned forward in his seat and took in every word that went over the ghost professor’s lips. At the mention of held races here at Hogwarts his brows shot up high and he asked with surprise "Hogwarts students did that? Wow! Do you think Headmaster Winterbottom would allow us to hold a short broom race around the grounds, if you Professor Burbage were supervising us? I’d really like to try broom racing. You make it sound so fun and cool!" His buddies would totally participate too.

"There are other healer careers too right aside from sports healing?" Will wondered thoughtfully. He knew healing was a big field, but he wasn’t exactly versed in what jobs you could have in the healing field and he wanted to know more about that even if his priority, and love was brooms and quidditch.

Will noted down coaching in his notebook as he listened to the story of how Marion had realised that she wanted to become a teacher. "It’s amazing to hear Professor Burbage. Not everyone is cut out to be good teachers though right?"

Marion chortled rather shrilly at his question. "Ooooooooooooooooh my dear boy. Afraid I am just a tad out of touch with such examinations these days and you would be much better off asking peers for some tips," she lamented. This was technically advice, however, so she was delivery a proper response to his question. "You'll still be leaving here with something to help with things," she insisted gently. She had not gone to all the trouble putting it together for him not to accept it. "After a bit more trajectory research though. All things in due time."

Oh dear, yet another chortle.

"Oooooooohohohoho you do flatter me, darling. That is something you will simply have to take up with the headmaster himself, though I do have my suspicions that he may not take entirely too warmly to the idea." Headmaster Winterbottom was quite the warm gentleman and unlikely to outright reject any idea too harshly. Surely the stud muffin wouldn't become too cross with her for planting seeds of possibility in the youth. "Your Flying instructor would be much more qualified for such a thing, that I am certain. They at least are capable of using a broom." Not to mention her spirit could not linger beyond the confines of the castle for long.

"But of coooooourse, my dear," the ghost replied with a bit of a bewildered look about her. What a naïve young man, it took her aback for a moment. "You have your very own healer here at Hogwarts to discuss more on that should you wish." Now, talk about a fiiiiiiiine specimen of a man!

Her lips pursed and she almost sunk through her chair a bit as she pondered his phrasing a bit. "Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say someone is not cut out to be anything. That does sound a bit harsh, doesn't it? It is all a matter of priorities and where you choose to spend your energy....which brings me to an activity I'd like you to do, Mr. Whitelaw. A self reflection activity. If you'll take that topmost piece of parchment and prepare your quill and inkwell. I'd like you to read over the list of items you see on this parchment and select 10 you feel are most important. You will find that more than 10 are important, perhaps all of them important, but this is an exercise in prioritizing." Alas, we could not having eeeeeeeeeeeverything everything. "Once you have picked ten, if you can try to rank them to the best of your ability. Again, this will be difficult and you will want to say they are all equal...but remember this is all part of the exercise. Take your time. There is noooooo need to rush through this. Help yourself to a couple more biscuits and tea to help tie yourself over while you think," Marion explained as she gestured to the coffee table and the rather long piece of parchment hanging off it.