LESSON 1: MAGICAL CLASSES
Welcome students to Career Advice! In our first lesson we are going to review some simple and basic stuff: Your classes! That´s right! Classes are the most important part of your magical education, and in the years you spend studying magic you will learn to love some subjects but also face challenges with the subjects you don’t like or that you find complicated. Nevertheless, your classes are extremely important because once you find your favorites that will give you a hint of what you want to do for the rest of your life! Excited? Let’s begin!
CORE CLASSES:
During your years studying at Hogwarts, or at least until your fifth year, you will be taking the following core subjects. In the beginning of your sixth year, depending on the results of your OWLs examinations, the requisites of the teachers and your own career interests, you can decide which subjects continue to NEWT level. Your core classes are:
* ASTRONOMY: In this class, students learn to study the stars and the movements of the planets. Some of the work includes filling blank star charts, learning the names, location, and movements of stars, constellations and planets, as well as describing their environments. Astronomy is taught by Professor Aurora Sinistra, and star charts and a telescope is the required material for this class.
* CHARMS: Swish and Flick! In this class you will learn all about Charms. This subject involves learning spells as well as their correct pronunciation and wand movement. It is a highly practical class so the use of your wand is a must. Some of the curriculum includes Levitation charm, locking spell, wand-lighting charm, disarming charm, engorgement charm, cheering charm, summoning charm, stunning spell, among many other spells. Charms is taught by Professor Filius Flitwick, and your required material is Miranda Goshawk series of The Standard Book of Spells.
* DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: The main objective of this class is that you learn how to defend against dark creatures, dark arts, and dark charms. This class is both theoretical and practical, and most of the courses are based on learning about dangerous creatures like trolls, vampires, werewolves, boggarts, grindylows, red caps, hinkypunks, dementors, etc, but also about learning defensive magic (spells), and dark curses and spells. It is believed that the teaching post for this class is jinxed and therefore many teachers have been appointed to this post.
* HERBOLOGY: The main objective of this class is that you learn how to take care of different kind of magical plants, as well as to learn about their properties and how to use them. As you advance into your herbology studies, you will see that you will face more complex and dangerous plants, and you will learn that these plants make good potions ingredients or that they have magical properties of their own. Some of the plants to study are bouncing bulbs, puffapods, mandrakes, fanged geranium, venomous tentacula, etc. Herbology is taught by Professor Pomona Sprout, you study the plants in the different Greenhouses, and your required material is dragon/mooncalf dung, dragon-hide gloves, earmuffs and your copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.
* HISTORY OF MAGIC: This class focuses on studying magical history. It is a 100% theoretical so it is considered one of the most boring classes. But don’t let that put you down! Learning history can be very interesting, and some of the topics you will cover include goblin rebellions, international warlock conventions, witch hunts, giant wars, as well as many famous witches and wizards in history. History of Magic is taught by Professor Cuthbert Binns, the only ghost professor at Hogwarts, and your required textbook is A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.
* POTIONS: The main objective of this class is to learn the correct way to brew potions. By following different recipes, you will learn how to mix ingredients, the correct timing of potion making, and stirring techniques, as well as learning to identify and analyze the different kind of effects potions produce. Some of the potions to study include forgetfulness potion, sleeping draught, swelling solution, draught of peace, amortentia, felix felicis, polyjuice potion, etc. Potions has been taught by Professor Severus Snape and Professor Horace Slughorn, and the required material includes a cauldron, brass scales, phials, potions kit, and your copies of Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger and Advanced Potion Making by Libatius Borage.
* TRANSFIGURATION: In general words, this class teaches you how to change the form and appearance of an object. It is believed to be one of the most complex branches of magic, and thus, it is common that students suffer accidents while practicing in class. Like with Charms, Transfiguration is a highly practical class and the use of your wand is mandatory. Some of the course work includes switching spells, cross-species switches, vanishing spells, etc. Transfiguration is taught by Professor Minerva McGonagall and your required textbooks are A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration, Intermediate Transfiguration and A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration.
* FLYING: For first years only, in this class students learn how to fly broomsticks. It is a very important class if you happen to like Quidditch and are willing to join the Quidditch Team of your House. Flying is taught by Madam Rolanda Hooch, and your required material is, of course, a broomstick.
* CHARMS: Swish and Flick! In this class you will learn all about Charms. This subject involves learning spells as well as their correct pronunciation and wand movement. It is a highly practical class so the use of your wand is a must. Some of the curriculum includes Levitation charm, locking spell, wand-lighting charm, disarming charm, engorgement charm, cheering charm, summoning charm, stunning spell, among many other spells. Charms is taught by Professor Filius Flitwick, and your required material is Miranda Goshawk series of The Standard Book of Spells.
* DEFENSE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS: The main objective of this class is that you learn how to defend against dark creatures, dark arts, and dark charms. This class is both theoretical and practical, and most of the courses are based on learning about dangerous creatures like trolls, vampires, werewolves, boggarts, grindylows, red caps, hinkypunks, dementors, etc, but also about learning defensive magic (spells), and dark curses and spells. It is believed that the teaching post for this class is jinxed and therefore many teachers have been appointed to this post.
* HERBOLOGY: The main objective of this class is that you learn how to take care of different kind of magical plants, as well as to learn about their properties and how to use them. As you advance into your herbology studies, you will see that you will face more complex and dangerous plants, and you will learn that these plants make good potions ingredients or that they have magical properties of their own. Some of the plants to study are bouncing bulbs, puffapods, mandrakes, fanged geranium, venomous tentacula, etc. Herbology is taught by Professor Pomona Sprout, you study the plants in the different Greenhouses, and your required material is dragon/mooncalf dung, dragon-hide gloves, earmuffs and your copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.
* HISTORY OF MAGIC: This class focuses on studying magical history. It is a 100% theoretical so it is considered one of the most boring classes. But don’t let that put you down! Learning history can be very interesting, and some of the topics you will cover include goblin rebellions, international warlock conventions, witch hunts, giant wars, as well as many famous witches and wizards in history. History of Magic is taught by Professor Cuthbert Binns, the only ghost professor at Hogwarts, and your required textbook is A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.
* POTIONS: The main objective of this class is to learn the correct way to brew potions. By following different recipes, you will learn how to mix ingredients, the correct timing of potion making, and stirring techniques, as well as learning to identify and analyze the different kind of effects potions produce. Some of the potions to study include forgetfulness potion, sleeping draught, swelling solution, draught of peace, amortentia, felix felicis, polyjuice potion, etc. Potions has been taught by Professor Severus Snape and Professor Horace Slughorn, and the required material includes a cauldron, brass scales, phials, potions kit, and your copies of Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger and Advanced Potion Making by Libatius Borage.
* TRANSFIGURATION: In general words, this class teaches you how to change the form and appearance of an object. It is believed to be one of the most complex branches of magic, and thus, it is common that students suffer accidents while practicing in class. Like with Charms, Transfiguration is a highly practical class and the use of your wand is mandatory. Some of the course work includes switching spells, cross-species switches, vanishing spells, etc. Transfiguration is taught by Professor Minerva McGonagall and your required textbooks are A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration, Intermediate Transfiguration and A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration.
* FLYING: For first years only, in this class students learn how to fly broomsticks. It is a very important class if you happen to like Quidditch and are willing to join the Quidditch Team of your House. Flying is taught by Madam Rolanda Hooch, and your required material is, of course, a broomstick.
ELECTIVE CLASSES:
Starting your third year, you will have the opportunity to choose two of the following elective classes. Your choices will highly depend on your interests and what you would like to do after you finish your magical education.
* ANCIENT RUNES: This class is focused on studying the runic scriptures. It is a mainly theoretical class and most of the work involves translating the runes and interpreting them. Ancient Runes is taught by Professor Bathsheda Babbling and your required material is your Rune Dictionary.
* ARITHMANCY: In general words, Arithmancy is using numbers to predict the future. It is considered a complex elective and most of the course work is based on completing and consulting difficult number charts. Arithmancy is taught by Professor Septima Vector.
* CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES: In this class you will learn about different kind of magical creatures and how to properly take care of them. Feeding, breeding, and proper treatment of magical creatures are the main topics of this subject, and some of the creatures to study include knarls, bowtruckles, hippogriffs, salamanders, nifflers, thestrals, etc. Care of Magical Creatures is taught by Professor Rubeus Hagrid, and your required textbooks include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and Monster Book of Monsters.
* DIVINATION: In this class you will learn to foresee the future by studying different divination methods like crystal gazing, dream interpretation, palmistry, tessomancy, etc. It is a subjective class that, according to Hermione Granger, involves lots of “guess-work”, and thus it is considered an imprecise branch of magic. However, if you have the Inner Eye, you will be able to excel in this class! Divination is taught by Professor Sybill Trelawney and Firenze the centaur, your required textbook is Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky.
* MUGGLE STUDIES: This class focuses on studying the daily life of muggles and how they manage to survive and solve problems without using magic. Some of the topics include science, electricity, technology, fashion, games, etc. Muggle Studies was taught by Professor Charity Burbage.
* ALCHEMY: It is not a common elective, but if there is sufficient demand, you will be able to take this class in your sixth and seventh years. Alchemy focuses on studying the four basic elements and the transmutation of substances.
With this brief summary of all of your classes, we are going to end the lesson here! Which is your favorite one? Which is the most difficult one? Discuss these questions and proceed to your first assignment!
* ANCIENT RUNES: This class is focused on studying the runic scriptures. It is a mainly theoretical class and most of the work involves translating the runes and interpreting them. Ancient Runes is taught by Professor Bathsheda Babbling and your required material is your Rune Dictionary.
* ARITHMANCY: In general words, Arithmancy is using numbers to predict the future. It is considered a complex elective and most of the course work is based on completing and consulting difficult number charts. Arithmancy is taught by Professor Septima Vector.
* CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES: In this class you will learn about different kind of magical creatures and how to properly take care of them. Feeding, breeding, and proper treatment of magical creatures are the main topics of this subject, and some of the creatures to study include knarls, bowtruckles, hippogriffs, salamanders, nifflers, thestrals, etc. Care of Magical Creatures is taught by Professor Rubeus Hagrid, and your required textbooks include Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander, and Monster Book of Monsters.
* DIVINATION: In this class you will learn to foresee the future by studying different divination methods like crystal gazing, dream interpretation, palmistry, tessomancy, etc. It is a subjective class that, according to Hermione Granger, involves lots of “guess-work”, and thus it is considered an imprecise branch of magic. However, if you have the Inner Eye, you will be able to excel in this class! Divination is taught by Professor Sybill Trelawney and Firenze the centaur, your required textbook is Unfogging the Future by Cassandra Vablatsky.
* MUGGLE STUDIES: This class focuses on studying the daily life of muggles and how they manage to survive and solve problems without using magic. Some of the topics include science, electricity, technology, fashion, games, etc. Muggle Studies was taught by Professor Charity Burbage.
* ALCHEMY: It is not a common elective, but if there is sufficient demand, you will be able to take this class in your sixth and seventh years. Alchemy focuses on studying the four basic elements and the transmutation of substances.
With this brief summary of all of your classes, we are going to end the lesson here! Which is your favorite one? Which is the most difficult one? Discuss these questions and proceed to your first assignment!