At breakfast only a couple of days after the shake-up of the first day of term, Skye tiredly walks to stand in front of the teachers table.
Leaning heavily on her staff she projects a magical effect that will project her voice across the great hall. "If I could have silence please… I have here the list of 20 first year students that have been accepted into the mundane studies class. When I call your name, please make your way into the antichamber by the main door. While this doesn't affect anyone else, please keep your conversation down so that the first years can hear."
Around the hall a couple of whispered conversations start up, but for the most part this has just become a spectator sport.
Skye pulls a sheet of parchment out of the other and glances at the first name on the list, "Luna Lovegood. Ginerva Weasley. Colin Creevley. Retha Corbeld. Vallie Halpine. Bradley Coghill. Jonah Godkim. Shelly Plundell. Imogene Coghill. Carmela Strachan. . Mahlon Weston. Nellie Weakman. Darrell Weddall. Reta McNab. Sidney Hall. Bessie Sherris. Faith Odonaghue. Evalyn Keogh. Pinkie Laroche. That's everyone. For those who haven't been chosen and have parental permission, continue to do well and if any of the current selection can't handle the new workload in the next few weeks, I will pick one of you to replace them. Remember, the mundane studies is a privilege for those who have already shown that they can work hard, and work with the other members of their year, including those who are in the same house who may see the world a little differently."
As she makes her way through the Great Hall, all eyes turn to the Ravenclaw table, where Luna Lovegood is the only student from the house. At least one of the students there bursts into tears.
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Luna looks around the students that have filed into the room curiously as they all split off into their existing friendship groups. As the 20th student walks in, she frowns as she look at the trim on each of the robes and doesn't see any blue.
Less than a minute after the last student enters, Professor Harris walks in and closes the door behind her. Clapping her hands, Skye smiles wearily, "Good morning, and welcome to mundane studies. Before I begin, do any of you have any questions?"
Curiously, Luna asks, "Why isn't Barnaby Macdonald here? He is a muggleborn."
Skye meets her gaze as the other students fall silent, "While he might be a muggleborn, he has been excluded because he excluded others." Skye looks over the other children, "This is something you all need to keep in mind. Yes, mundane studies is going to be mostly self directed study. But the only way you will succeed is by working together. I'm sure that Mr's Coghill and Hall, and Miss' Forrest, Sherris, Strachan, and Plundell from Hufflepuff can tell you just how closely the 2nd year mundane studies class work together."
Skye pauses for a moment, and is rewarded when Gertie Forrest shyly says, "They're always in our common room studying in one corner, and taking books from Danann's chest."
Skye nods, "Thank you Miss Forrest. Now, the four of us have been talking, and where last year it made sense for the mundane studies class to adopt the Hufflepuff schedule. This year the split is more even amongst all the houses. As such, you are all going to have your own schedule while the rest of your year is going to be combined into one slightly larger than normal class. Yes McNab?"
"Um, are we also going to change dorms too?"
Skye chuckles, "Not at all. How you split up your time outside the one hour a day you have with me for mundane studies is up to you. I would suggest that you all meet up somewhere, whether it's one of your dorms, the library, or you find an unused classroom. Either way, you will find it much easier to work your way through the curriculum if you're together. You may even find it helps with your wanded studies too."
Skye pulls a shrunken chest out of the mist, "Miss Lovegood."
Luna startles at the sound of her name, "Yes Professor?"
Skye holds the chest out, "This is your responsibility. Everyone, this chest contains a small library with two copies of all the course books you'll need for this year, along with an encyclopedia and a selection of history books that the 2nd year students found useful. We have also included a selection of fiction books that you may find useful for your English assignments. Do any of you have any questions before we head out to get your P.E. kit?"
Carmela Strachan raises her hand, "Why does Loony get the chest?"
Skye sighs sadly and opens to the door to the great hall, "Carmela Strachan, please return to the great hall. I'm afraid that your place in the mundane studies group has been revoked."
Carmela looks shocked and close to tears as she stares at Skye, "Why?"
Gently, Skye guides the reluctant first year out of the room, "Why did you use that name? Consider that, and what that name means. Don't be afraid to talk to your head of house either if you don't understand." Loudly, and using magic to allow herself to be heard, she calls, "Raylee Richardson, please join the mundane studies group in the antechamber."
A glum first year Ravenclaw looks up in surprise and quickly grabs their book bag before running into the antechamber. At the door, Skye stops them and crouches down, "Raylee, I'm taking a chance with you as I watched you partner with Luna during your potions classes. If you try to exclude her, like you did with the rest of your house, I will make do with 19 students in this class. Do you understand?"
Raylee nods, "I understand Professor."
Skye nods, "Go on in."
As she starts to close the door, she can see Kate has already started to make her way over to Carmela. Turning back to the room she smiles, "Alright, if there's nothing else, we can head out to buy you all your P.E Kit and then we'll go 10 pin bowling so that you all have a chance to experience the mundane world. Before we leave, I need you to hand over your wands and promise that you won't use any of the wandless magic I've taught you."
After the students hand over their wands, Skye frowns with effort as she makes a small portal to an out of the way alleyway in Edinburgh, before enlarging it to allow the students through.
"Come on everyone, and stay close to me."
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For the students, the largest change over the next few months is with increased scrutiny that the different houses receive after the massive shift in who the head of house is, with different professors slowly being assigned a rotating set of 'office hours' in each dorm after the school day is done.
However, the change that gets the loudest response, is the additional two lessons on math and science for the first and second year students.
Kate has barely got past the introduction for the third science lesson for the 2nd year Slytherin and Hufflepuff class when Draco Malfoy sneers.
"I don't see why we're seeing how fast feathers and marbles fall, or why we were making toy boats last week."
Kate stiffens slightly, before taking strength from the presence of the Hufflepuffs she's got to know over the last several months.
"Mr Malfoy, you are right. Seeing how fast these things fall will probably never be useful in your life as an adult." Malfoy face looks triumphant, "However, that's not what the teaching of science is about. Science is a process, and like all such things, it is best taught through doing. It is the foundation of Mundane Magic, and Mundane Magic is what allows many of the things you've seen Professor Morgana demonstrate already."
Kate looks at the chalk on the table, as she recalls the writing spell she was taught. A couple of seconds later the chalk jumps up and starts writing on the blackboard behind her.
Hypothesis – Come up with an idea about how the world works
Test – Try to prove that your Hypothesis is not true.
Examine – Look at your results and how they differed from what you expected.
Refine – Adjust your Hypothesis to account for the new data.
Repeat
"This is the scientific process. However, like transfiguration and charms, it takes time and experience to truly understand the work that has already been done. Just as I wouldn't expect you to be a Transfiguration Master, able to turn into an animal from day one. The same is true in science, we don't expect you to be designing aeroplanes or computers from day one. Instead, you are here to learn about the process. About documenting what you're doing, and being accurate and consistent. For now, we're dropping things in the classroom. On Friday, we're dropping things off the astronomy tower. Miss Greengrass, you're paired with Mr Malfoy. Everyone else, find someone that isn't in your own house to pair up with. Take a tray, a 1m ruler, and a mechanical stopwatch. Your task for today is to come up with a theory about how fast these objects will fall. Inside your trays you should have 6 different balls of 25.4mm diameter, one thin plastic, one hollow rubber, one solid plastic, one wood, one copper, and one steel. There should also be a sheet of parchment, a copper shuttle cock, a curved steel plate that weighs 500g, a flat steel plate that also weighs 500g, and five feathers of assorted sizes. Also remember your lessons from last week."
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With much of her responsibilities now given being spread amongst four people, and the rest of her responsibilities now shared with Irma, Minerva's stress levels started to recede over the next few months. At the same time, much of her overly stern demeanour and brusque manner also disappear, allowing her to show hints of the teacher that so many students loved in the 70's before she became the Deputy Head.
Frowning, Minerva looks over at Miss Lovegood, who has just turned her comb into a quill for a third time. A swish of her wand has a new comb land on her desk, "Miss Lovegood, would you repeat the task please?"
Lovegood smiles up at her absently, before looking back down and waving her wand and muttering the incantation. Sitting on the desk is a stylized quill that has a beautiful patterning that bears no resemblance to the quill.
"Miss Lovegood, while I appreciate that you maybe learning alternative forms of magic. In this class I expect you to learn transfiguration. Please ensure that you are using the correct spells, as they do build up to the more complex transfiguration in future years. Now try and reproduce your quill using transfiguration."
Lovegood cocks her head at Minerva, before smiling brightly, "Yes Professor."
As Minerva watches Lovegood perform the actual spell mostly correctly, she nods as the tip of the quill retains its tortoise shell pattern and texture. "Well done Miss Lovegood, 1 point to Ravenclaw, now maybe you should help your classmates."
As Lovegood dances off to help the students that are struggling, Minerva returns to her desk and smiles. Maybe these classes made from split houses aren't so bad.
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Harry looks up curiously as a lone Gryffindor approaches them at lunch. Over the last few months they've heard their friends, in the mundane studies, occasionally discussing The Test, and if they have the courage to actually go in with them.
As the girl gets close enough to talk, Harry puts their fork down, "Hello, I'm not sure we've spoken before."
The Gryffindor smiles shyly and shakes her head, "We haven't, I'm sort of friends with Sally-Anne. My name's Alice Tolipan, please call me Allice."
Harry smiles, "Thank you, I'm Harry Danann, just call me Harry. How can I help?"
Alice looks down at her feet, "Um, I sort of hung around the Hufflepuff dorm at the beginning of term when you were carving, and a couple of days after that. Um, I was wondering if there was any news on Sally-Anne. If you're still struggling with your test, then I'm willing to help."
Harry chokes on some spit as they try to gasp while swallowing. Once they've recovered they look up at Alice seriously, "Alice, do you understand what you're offering?"
Alice nods, "I've been listening to Lavender and Parvati as they talk about her new status, quite loudly."
Harry shakes their head, "This isn't like that. You could die. I almost lost Kate when she went through something similar. But anyone that helps me won't have the benefit of the oath she took." Harry swallows hard, "This isn't just a test of character, it's also a test of how strong your sense of self is."
Alice nods, "Parvati said that all of her darkness was burned away, and if she'd been too dark she'd have died." She looks down again, "That's why it took me so long to approach you. Retha's my second cousin, and Sally-Anne saved her life with no thought of her own. I don't… I can't leave her to just die if I can do something to help."
Harry closes her eyes and looks for some sort of past wisdom that could help. When she opens them again, she takes Alice's hands and meets her eyes. As she speaks, her voice takes on a double timbre, "Alice Tolipan, if this is what you truly desire to do then I will not turn away from your offer. In eight days time the Spring Holiday will start. If this is still your desire, approach me at dinner and I will take you to my tree where we will seek our doom together."
Alice smiles nervously, "Thank you for believing me."
Harry nods, "It is in my/our nature to offer those who seek our/my service ample opportunity to consider their options and leave if they wish. I/we suggest that you take the time to write letters to those you care about. After all, this may be your last opportunity you'll ever have to do so."