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[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson looked up from his book as he noticed the students coming in. He didn't know how long he had been sitting reading, but the effect was always the same. Usually it would end with him being confused about what was going on, but today was different. He was supposed to be teaching the class, and as usual, it left him a bit awkward as to how to go about it. He however decided to go about doing it the simple way.[/color]

[color=darkblue]"Hello, class, and welcome to History of Magic. I am your professor, Grayson Powell. In this class, there is no wandwork, since magic doesn't help you to learn about history. Therefore, your wands will need to be put away."[/color] [color=#657383]He stood, taking his feet from off the desk and faced the children directly.[/color] [color=darkblue] "History is a collection of events, as I'm sure you are all well aware of. However, these events help to shape the world around us. If not for the witch burnings of the sixteen hundreds, we would not have the Statue of Secrecy. If not for the crises of the last century, we would not have cooperation of all magical folk."[/color] [color=#657383]He glanced around the class, letting his gaze fall over each of the students.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Now, can someone tell me, besides what I have stated, why history needs to be learned?"[/color][/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson walked into the classroom, eyes examining the room as he steps up to the board to write something in large letters before placing the chalk down and standing before the class.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"] [b][u][size=18][align=center]History Of Hogwarts[/align][/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello class, and welcome back. Today, we're going to go over the history of Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts was founded in the ninth to tenth century by its founders, Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin. They came together to build the school due to increased suspicion of muggles and magic, and wanted to teach students without fear of prosecution. However, not all of them agreed on which students should be accepted into the school. Salazar Slytherin wanted to only admit purebloods, which was at odds with the other founders. He left the school, and never returned.

"Hogwarts was one of the finest institutes for magical learning by the thirteenth century, and together with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, started the Triwizard Tournament. However, due to injuries and deaths resulting from the tournament, it was disbanded six centuries after it started. There have been many attempts to reinstate it, but none have been successful.

"More recently, the school has been the site for many different incidents in the last century. It was here that Voldemort learned his magic, and here that Harry Potter defeated him in the Battle for Hogwarts. It has also been the site for the most recent attempt for the Triwizard Tournament, and obviously remains a major school for magic today."[/color]

[color=#657383] He looked about the class.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Now I know that some of you may have questions, so don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson swept into the class, ready to teach. He was actually a bit happier about this class, but still a little disappointed about the fact that they seemed not to be too inerested in history. Ah, well it really wasn't a surprise. Not everyone was excited about the same things that he was. He strode up to the chalkboard and grabbed a piece of chalk. He quickly wrote down the topic of the day and set down the chalk, dusting his hands off.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"] [b][u][size=18][align=center]The Chamber of Secrets[/align][/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello, class. Today we will be discussing the Chamber of Secrets. Now I know that some of you may have already heard about this, so please just bare with me while I bring the ones that haven't up to speed.

"The Chamber of secrets was built over a thousand years ago, around the same time that Salazar Slytherin left the school. There was speculation about the chamber for centuries, but no one could really even pinpoint how Slytherin could have created such a place to begin with, let alone what the Chamber was to be used for. However, that all changed back in the first half of the twentieth century.

"The chamber was opened, releasing a monster that only an heir to Slytherin could control. Since Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth, the creature was a snake. A basilisk, to be precise. The chamber had been opened by a then-unknown prefect by the name of Tom Riddle, and its purpose was insidious. That was to kill every one who didn't belong in Hogwarts. Namely muggle-born witches and wizards.

"Eventually the attacks stopped, as someone was apprehended for the crimes. However that was not the end for the history for the Chamber itself. In 1992, the chamber was opened again, this time by a fragment of Tom Riddle's soul. The attacks resumed, and it wasn't until the actions of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley that the attacks stopped."[/color] [color=#657383] He looked about the class.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Now I know that some of you may have questions, so don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson entered the class, glad that he was right on time. He had almost gotten caught up in another book in his office, but had realized the time right before he had to be there. He walked up to the board and wrote the lesson's name quickly, then dusted his hands off and turned to face the class.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"] [b][u][size=18][align=center]The History of Brooms[/align][/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello, class. Today we will talking about the history of brooms. This might probably be a boring topic for you to learn about, but regardless, it is a part of wizarding history.

"Since no spell devised by wizards enable them to fly (with the exception of Lord Voldemort in 1997, and Severus Snape a year later), they had to come up with some other way to fly. Animagi who transformed into winged creatures enjoyed the sensation, but they were rare.

"Long before the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy came into force, wizards were savvy enough to realise that Muggle neighbours would seek to exploit their abilities. Therefore, if they were to keep a method of flight in their homes, it would have to be unobtrusive and easy to hide. The broomstick was ideal - portable, cheap, and it required no explanation. However, the first broomsticks were uncomfortable.

"Records show that witches and wizards in Europe were using brooms as early as A.D. 963. A German manuscript of this period shows three warlocks dismounting from their brooms with looks of exquisite discomfort on their faces.The first brooms bewitched were neither comfortable nor aerodynamic (they had rough twigs at the end and had unvarnished handles), and in 1107 Scottish wizard Guthrie Lochrin wrote of the "splinter-filled buttocks and bulging piles" after a short ride from Montrose to Arbroath. The charms on the broom were also basic; they would move at one speed, and only go up, down, and stop. Wizard families generally constructed their own brooms, so there was a variation in speed and comfort depending on the skill of the builder. By the twelfth century, wizards began to barter services, and a skilled broommaker could trade his services for the potions of a neighbour.

"Until the nineteenth century, broomsticks were of varying quality, although the invention of the Cushioning Charm in 1820 by Elliot Smethwyck greatly enhanced the quality and comfort of the rides. However, they were still handmade by single wizards, and they were generally incapable of achieving high speeds and were difficult to control at high altitudes. They were also designed with styling and craftsmanship in mind, and not performance. Brooms such as the Oakshaft 79, the Moontrimmer, and the Silver Arrow all made an impact on the broom market, but were still made by single wizards and witches.

"In 1926, the brothers Bob, Bill and Barnaby Ollerton formed the Cleansweep Broom Company, and the racing broom was born. Their first model, the Cleansweep One, was produced in large quantities and was an instant hit. Three years later, in 1929, Randolph Keitch and Basil Horton formed the Comet Trading Company and released the Comet 140 with a new Braking Charm. For several years, the Cleansweep-Comet rivalry dominated the field, until the creation of the Nimbus Racing Broom Company in 1967. The Nimbus brooms combined reliability and easy handling, and became a favourite for Quidditch teams across Europe. Universal Brooms Ltd was a broomstick manufacturing company which was very popular in the past, but shut down some time back due to heavy losses.

"At present, nearly every wizarding household in Britain owns at least one broomstick. Dedicated riders keep their brooms in top condition with a Broomstick Servicing Kit. Large groups of wizards and witches may travel by broomstick without being seen by Muggles through the use of a dose of the Disillusionment Charm. An earth-bound Muggle might then only see a slight shimmer in the night sky as broomstick riders pass overhead, which might be put down to blurred vision, sleepiness or a trick of the light.."[/color] [color=#657383] He looked about the class.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Now I know that some of you may have questions, so don't hesitate to ask. I would be happy to answer them to the best of my ability."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson lowered his book as students started to enter the class. He looked over them all, curious as to how they would take the class. On one hand, there were those that found the class to be quite boring, and on the other hand, there were those that found, like himself, that history was full of intrigue, if they looked through it properly. At least that was how he viewed it. More than likely, the majority would find this class boring and move on, but he hoped that there were a few that he'd be able spark a bit of interest in the subject.

He stood, placing the book he'd been reading down.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Hello class, and welcome back to History of Magic. As you all have had an entire summer to empty your heads of all that you may have learned over the last year, as well as give me a good chance to refresh your knowledge, today we will review what you have learned in the subject over the last year, before we go on to this year's topics. Please answer one at a time, and only cover one topic. That way, we can hopefully get everyone's participation in the class."[/color][/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson walked into the classroom, looked around to see that everything was ready, and picked up a piece of chalk. He wrote on the chalkboard, and when finished, turned to regard the class as a whole.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"][b][u][size=18]Muggle Witch Burnings[/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello class. Last time, we went over the subjects you studied last year to refresh any knowledge you may have lost over the summer. Today, we are going to go ahead and study the witch burnings of the 1600's.

"Now, as you are very well aware, muggles nowadays don't know about the wizarding world, due to either ignoring magic when they see it or passing it off as merely fantasy for children. However, that was not always the case. The International Statute of Secrecy was only enacted relatively recently within the last several centuries, which of course hides magic from the rest of the world.

"However, wizards and muggles did coexist at some point. For the greater bit of history, they worked together. However, at some point muggles began to distrust wizards, and some even began to fear them. It culminated into the infamous witch burnings that basically ran like wildfire across the world.

"The witch burnings weren't specific in who they targeted. Mostly, they actually persecuted other muggles who they believed to be a witch. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case. Many of the witches and wizards they grabbed were muggleborn, and they were unfortunate in that most of the time when they were captured, it was due to uncontrollable acts of random magic they had performed.

"Contrary to the name, burning wasn't the only way they got rid of witches. Stoning, throwing them off cliffs, and even drownings were also considered to be acceptable ways to get rid of witches. Most witches and wizards who were caught actually didn't die, as they were able to cast some form of magic to get them out of the situation. One witch in particular found it quite fun to get caught. Wendolyn the Weird actually was caught a grand total of forty-seven times, mostly in different guises, because she found that the tickling sensation of casting a fire-freezing charm was actually enjoyable."[/color]

[color=#657383]He sat at the edge of his desk as he regarded the class with a bit of a grin.[/color] [color=darkblue]"As I'm sure you have questions, please feel free to ask them, or if you wish to discuss it, that's perfectly fine too."[/color][/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson walked into the classroom, excited to get the class started. He quickly wrote the topic for the day upon the board, and then turned to face the students. He grinned at them, more comfortable with teaching than he had been at the beginning of the year.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"][size=18][b][u][align=center]Nicolas Flamel[/align][/u][/b][/size][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello again, class. Today the topic is Nicolas Flamel, renouned alchemist and quite possibly the longest lived wizard of all time.

"Nicolas Flamel (c. 1327 - c. 1992) was a well-known alchemist and only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary substance with incredible powers. He was a close friend and partner with former Hogwarts School Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. He owed his considerable age to the Elixir of Life which he and his wife, Perenelle, created using the Stone. They were aged six hundred sixty-five and six hundred fifty-eight, respectively, at their time of deaths.

"Flamel is noted as an alchemist of considerable talent and as an opera-lover. It is said he enjoyed his later years living a quiet life in Devon. Although it is clear that he used the Elixir to greatly extend his life, it is not specified whether he used the Stone's powers to make himself greatly wealthy, as the Stone is also capable of turning any metal into gold.

"The danger of the Stone's existence was brought to light when Voldemort, with the help of Hogwarts Professor Quirinus Quirrell, was nearly successful in stealing it for the purpose of restoring Voldemort to physical form. However, his plan was thwarted by the efforts of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley. Flamel agreed, along with Dumbledore, that the stone should be destroyed. With enough Elixir to set his affairs in order, it was expected that Flamel and his wife would die shortly thereafter.

"Now I know that some of you may have questions, so please feel free to ask them. However I do have a question for you. Would it be worth it to live forever and have endless amounts of money if you had the ability to do so?[/color][/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson entered the classroom, his usual pep about his own subject apparent as he walked to his desk. After making sure that he had the classroom in order, he then turned to write the lesson on the board before he settled back to wait. This should be a fun class, he mused, as he waited for the students to arrive.[/color] [/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"][b][u][size=18]Newt Scamander[/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello class, and welcome back to class. This lesson, we will be focusing on one of the most noted magizoologists in history, Newt Scamander. He of course has helped to inform the wizarding public about magical creatures, their habitats, and how they behave. He also was a bestselling author, having written one of the textbooks that Hogwarts still uses today.

Newton Artemis Fido "Newt" Scamander was a famed Magizoologist and author of [u]Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[/u]. Scamander developed an interest in magical creatures early in life, influenced by his mother's breeding of hippogriffs. After attending, and graduating from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Scamander joined the Ministry of Magic. After spending two years in the Office for House-Elf Relocation, Scamander joined the Beast Division and put his knowledge of magical beasts to good use. In 1918, Scamander was commissioned by Augustus Worme of Obscurus Books to write [u]Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[/u]. The book became a best seller, making Scamander a respected expert in the field of Magizoology. In his personal life, Scamander married a woman named Porpentina, and fathered at least one child. By the beginning of the 1990s, Scamander was retired and living in Dorset.

"During the time he was writing [u]Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them[/u], he travelled the world, gathering as much information as he could about the creatures he studied while compiling his book. The book itself has had at least fifty two editions since its original publication. He also was responsible for the Werewolf Register, and created the Ban on Experimental Breeding in 1965. His extensive work in his field of study led him to achieve the Order of Merlin, Second Class."[/color]

[color=#657383]Grayson smiled and looked around the classroom.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Now, I know that this was a bit of a long lesson, but I will let it off on a lighter note. I want you to think on which magical creature is your favourite and tell the class, as well as what you would study about it if given the chance to."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson watched over his book as his students entered the classroom. This year was OWLs for them, and they definitely needed to make sure that they were up to speed. He didn't know how much they knew, but it was his job to make sure they were prepared for the exams ahead. He was prepared to give it his all, allowing all the students to at least have a good chance with the exams.[/color]

[color=darkblue]""Hello class, and welcome back to History of Magic. As I am sure that you all know, this year marks your fifth year at Hogwarts, as well as the year that you take the OWLs. I expect that you all will be prepared for the exam, and that is why today and later on this year, we will be revisiting everything you have learned in this class. That way, I know precisely what to focus on for the exam. Today, I would like for each of you to please tell me about each topic that has thus been covered over your years in Hogwarts. One topic per student, and I wish to have everyone please give a response. It will help me to determine what we need to go over before the exams are here. Yes, I do understand that all of your other teachers are also probably giving you this same lecture, but that is so that you are prepared to face the exams and do the best you can in them."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson walked to the classroom and over to the chalkboard. He quickly wrote on the chalkboard and then turned to the class.[/color][/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"][b][u][size=18][align=center]Albus Dumbledore[/align][/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello again class, and welcome back. Today, we're going to discuss probably the most famous headmaster that ever served Hogwarts, as well as the rest of the wizarding world. Albus Dumbledore. Yes, I can hear some of you now wanting to dispute that claim, but that is the opinion of most people. We will try and keep an objective viewpoint however about the topic.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorcerer, was the Transfiguration Professor, and later Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Professor Dumbledore also served as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. He was a half-blood wizard, the son of Percival and Kendra Dumbledore, and the elder brother of Aberforth and Ariana. His father died in Azkaban when Dumbledore was young, while his mother and sister were later accidentally killed. His early losses greatly affected him early on, even at his death, but in turn made him a better person. Albus Dumbledore was considered to be the most powerful wizard of his time. He was most famous for his defeat of Gellert Grindelwald, the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with Nicolas Flamel.

"It was through Dumbledore that resistance to the rise of Lord Voldemort was formed, as it was he who founded and led both the first and second Order of the Phoenix. Due to the fact that he had a keen mind and legendary power, Dumbledore became the only wizard that Voldemort ever feared. He was the wielder and the master of the Elder Wand from 1945 until 1997 and considered by many as the greatest Headmaster to ever grace Hogwarts. As he was about to die by a cursed ring, he planned his own death with Severus Snape. Though he was no longer alive at the time, it was through Dumbledore's machinations that Voldemort was ultimately defeated and peace restored to the wizarding world. He is the only Headmaster that was laid to rest at Hogwarts. Albus Dumbledore's portrait still remains at Hogwarts."[/color]

[color=#657383]He looked about the class, and continued.[/color] [color=darkblue]"Yes, I do realize that that was a generalization of the man, however to cover it all would take several classes, which is actually what I planned to do. Please, should you have any questions, I would be happy to discuss them."[/color][/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson got the classroom ready for the next class as he considered this group of students. Please don't let it end up like last time he tried this, he thought. Frowning, he flicked his wand, which had suspiciously been found in a vase on his desk (how it ended up there, he'll never know!), and caused the desks to rearrange themselves in a circular fashion. There, hopefully he didn't have any issues, otherwise he was probably going to be canned for having yet another argument break out in class. That would of course be terrible, to be honest.[/color]

[color=darkblue]"Hello again class. Today, we are going to have an open discussion. Now, the rules are quite simple. No opinion, no matter how outrageous it seems, is to be attacked for any reason. Two, there are to be no arguments. Should one erupt, this lesson will end immediately and I will dock the offenders points. Three, we will respect everyone here. There will be no flinging of insults, no calling anyone mudblood, or the like. That is offensive in the extreme, and one I take personal offense to. Otherwise, please stick with facts, and have an open mind in this discussion.

"Now, the topic for this discussion is Albus Dumbledore. We discussed him in last class, and this one is reserved for questions and opinions. Please, don't be shy. Go ahead and start whenever you're ready."[/color] [/size]

[size=11][color=#657383]Grayson quickly walked into the classroom, ready to get the class started. He quickly wrote the topic of the day on the board, and made sure that the classroom was ready for the students. He then turned and watched as they walked in.[/color] [/size]

[quote="Professor Powell"][b][u][size=18][align=center]Harry Potter[/align][/size][/u][/b][/quote]

[size=11][color=darkblue]"Hello again, class. Today we're going to be Discussing Harry potter, perhaps one of the most famous wizards of the twentieth century. I am sure that all of you have heard of him, but this class will try and speak about him in a clinical view, so that facts and feelings won't intrude upon the topic.

"Harry James Potter (b. 31 July 1980) was a half-blood wizard, the only child and son of James Potter and Lily Potter (née Evans), and one of the most famous wizards of modern times. In an attempt to circumvent a prophecy that a boy born at the end of July 1980 would be able to defeat him, Voldemort tried to murder him when he was a toddler after murdering Harry's parents as they tried to protect him. This early attempt to vanquish Harry led to Voldemort's first defeat and the end of the First Wizarding War. One consequence of Lily's protection is that her orphaned son had to be raised by her only remaining blood relative, with her Muggle sister Petunia's family, where he was not welcomed or nurtured, but would stay alive, at least until he was seventeen years old. As the only known survivor of the Killing Curse up to that point, Harry was already famous before he arrived at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

"Early on his eleventh birthday, Harry learned from Rubeus Hagrid, the Hogwarts gamekeeper, that he was a wizard. He began attending Hogwarts in 1991 and was Sorted into Gryffindor house. While at school, Harry became best friends with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. He became the youngest Quidditch Seeker in over a century and eventually captain of his house's team, winning two Quidditch Cups.[12] He became even better known in his early years for protecting the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort and saving Ron's sister Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets. In his fourth year, Harry won the Triwizard Tournament, although the competition ended in tragedy with the death of Cedric Diggory and the return of Voldemort. The next school year, Harry reluctantly founded Dumbledore's Army and fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, during which he lost his godfather, Sirius Black, who was a father figure to him.

"Harry played a significant role in many other battles of the Second Wizarding War and hunted down and destroyed Voldemort's Horcruxes with Ron and Hermione. During the Battle of Hogwarts, he personally witnessed the deaths of Severus Snape and Fred Weasley, and learned that Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Colin Creevey, and many others had fallen as well. He encountered Voldemort and sacrificed himself, knowing that that was the only way to destroy the fragment of Voldemort's soul that was inside him. In Harry's near-death experience after Voldemort cursed him in the forest clearing, Dumbledore gave Harry advice and background information on Voldemort. When told he could choose to live or to "move on", Harry chose to live, and after he awoke he confronted Voldemort, and defeated him.

"Harry is also notable for being the only known Master of Death, having united the three Deathly Hallows.

"After the war, Harry became an Auror and married Ginny, with whom he had three children: James Sirius who he named after his father and godfather, Albus Severus, named after Snape and Dumbledore, and Lily Luna, named after his mother and good friend Luna Lovegood. Harry was also named the godfather of Ted Lupin. He became Head of the Auror Office in 2007, and occasionally travelled to Hogwarts to deliver Defence Against the Dark Arts lectures.

"I'm sure that you know by now that you may discuss this if you wished, so just go ahead and ask any questions or feel free to add any points that may have been missed."[/color][/size]