[Text]

[accioleggings]

I'VE BEEN SEVERELY SLACKING IN ASSIGNING HOMEWORK AND FOR THAT I APOLOGIZE, NOT THAT MAY OF YOU HAVE REALLY MINDED. SO!

THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL SPAN ALL YEARS AND ALL HOUSES. I WANT YOU ALL TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR OWN FAMILY HISTORY AND TRACK DOWN THE FIRST TRACES OF MAGIC IN YOUR FAMILY. FROM THAT I WANT YOU TO MAKE A FAMILY TREE THAT STRETCHES DOWN FROM THEM TO YOU. I'M AWARE THAT THERE ARE AN AWFUL LOT OF SIBLINGS AND COUSINS AND OTHER RELATIONS HERE AT HOGWARTS SO DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP FROM ONE ANOTHER WHEN FILLING IN GAPS. THE SAME GOES FOR FAMILY NOT AT SCHOOL. WRITE HOME, ASK QUESTIONS, ASK FOR FAMILY HEIRLOOMS OR PAPERS YOU CAN STUDY.

FOR STUDENTS WITH A HEAVY MAGICAL LINEAGE, DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE NON-MAGICAL RELATIVES AND THOSE WITHOUT A LONG HISTORY OF MAGIC IN THEIR FAMILY, DO A BIT OF SEARCHING. YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND A GREAT-UNCLE TWICE REMOVED WHO HAD A HABIT OF TURNING TAX COLLECTORS INTO NEWTS.

ONCE ALL IS SAID AND DONE YOU'LL PRESENT YOUR FINDINGS IN FRONT OF THE CLASS. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK HERE OR IN PERSON. MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN.

[Added later:]

SINCE I'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF THESE QUESTIONS I FEEL LIKE IT'LL BE EASIER TO JUST LEAVE THE ANSWERS HERE.

1. PRESENTATION TO THE CLASS IS NOT MANDATORY IF YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH IT. I'M OT GOING TO FORCE ANYONE INTO PUBLIC SPEAKING AND IT WILL NOT EFFECT YOUR GRADE.

2. STUDENTS WHO WERE ADOPTED MAY DO THEIR TREES BASED ON THEIR ADOPTIVE FAMILIES. FAMILY DOESN'T END WITH BLOOD AFTER ALL.

3. MUGGLEBORN STUDENTS SHOULD DO THE ASSIGNMENT AS NORMAL, JUST KEEP A LOOK OUT IN YOUR RESEARCH FOR ANY POSSIBLE MAGICAL RELATIVES.


[Filtered to teachers and staff]

ANYONE UP FOR A TRIP TO THE THREE BROOMSTICKS TONIGHT? I COULD USE A DRINK SOME COMPANY.

[OOC: Homework post is here!!!]

Comments

[mysterytwin]

'Great uncle twice removed who had a habit of turning tax collectors into newts'.

...Professor, do you know my great uncle?

[accioleggings]

I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A JOKE BUT YOUR GREAT-UNCLE HAS ACTUALLY TURNED TAX COLLECTORS INTO NEWTS?

[mysterytwin]

Would I get him into trouble if I said yes?

[accioleggings]

I'M NOT SURE. MIGHT BE BEST IF WE STAYED VAGUE WITH THE DETAILS.

BUT WOW, I DIDN'T THINK I'D BE SO SPOT ON.

[mysterytwin]

He thought it'd be a good way to show us that magic existed.

Of course I had to convince him to turn them back. I wasn't sure how legal that was.

[accioleggings]

YOU MIGHT WANT TO INFORM YOUR UNCLE THERE ARE OTHER, LESS DRAMATIC WAYS TO SHOW CHILDREN THAT MAGIC EXIST.

THINKING ABOUT IT, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE HOW LEGAL TRANSFIGURING TAX COLLECTORS EITHER. I MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT NOW FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.

[mysterytwin]

Well I don't think he cared either way. 'When there's no cops around, anything is legal'.

But I've been interested in this for a while. I mean there had to have been others other than him, Mabel and I for us to have magic, right?

[accioleggings]

UH HUH. YOU KNOW, NEXT PARENTS' DAY I THINK I'D LIKE TO HAVE A CHAT WITH YOUR UNCLE ABOUT NOT BREAKING LAWS IN FRONT OF MINORS. OR IN GENERAL FOR THAT MATTER.

IT'S VERY POSSIBLE. THE MAGICAL GENE CAN POP UP OR SKIP ANYWHERE BUT THERE ALWAYS HAS TO BE A SOURCE SOMEWHERE, NO MATTER HOW FAR BACK.

[mysterytwin]

...Argh, I have such a bad case of foot in mouth syndrome.

It's like anything really. If it exists, there's always a source.

[accioleggings]

EXACTLY. EVERYTHING STARTS SOMEWHERE. I ENCOURAGE YOU AND YOUR SISTER TO HAVE A CHAT WITH YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR UNCLE ABOUT IT. HAVE A LOOK THROUGH THE LIBRARY TOO, YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND THE PINES NAME POP UP.

[mysterytwin]

Trouble with that is, Professor, I'm not really sure if my parents would know anything. They were just as surprised as we were to learn that we could use magic. But...hmm...I think I have an idea of where to start.

[accioleggings]

IT CAN'T HURT TO ASK THEM, JUST TO MAKE SURE.
WONDERFUL! START THERE AND SEE WHERE IT TAKES YOU.