While they're on their way to the mundane studies class, Neville puts a hand on Harry's arm and slows down a bit. As they pull back, Harry can see just how nervous Neville is.
"Are you ok Neville?"
Neville nods, "Um, yes. Um, would you, erm, be able to train-me-like-you-are-Daphne-and-Susan?"
"Take a deep breath… now can you repeat that again more slowly please?"
"Would you be able to train me in your magic please?"
Harry nods understandingly, "Ah, is this hoping to help your confidence and memory?"
Neville nods, "Y…Yes."
"Even if I had the time to teach you, I wouldn't at the moment. Neville, to learn my style of magic you need to be able to show strong desire, willpower, and ultimately intent. You can't do this at the moment." Neville's shoulders slump, "What I can do though, is start to teach you how to use a sword. It requires strength, stamina, dexterity, concentration, willpower, and confidence. However, you don't need any of those to start with. If I know my mother, you're going to be learning the sword anyway as it's great fitness and that's what P.E. is, Physical Education. If you want to do it, I'll wake you up at 6am every morning to join me in my trunk."
"Um"
"Don't worry, you won't be starting off the way Marianne practice, you'll first be getting use to the weight of a sword and the basic attacks."
Marianne steps out of the mist and links her arm into Harry's, "Did I hear someone mention my name?"
"Neville wanted to learn our magic, but I don't feel like he believes in himself enough to get past the first step yet. No offence, but you really don't have any self-confidence yet, even in your own skills at Herbology."
Once they make it to the classroom, Neville is pulled of his thoughts by the door closing behind them.
"Good afternoon everyone. Please call me Morgana as I am here more as your mentor than as a professor. Today we're going to be buying you the necessary clothing and supplies that you'll need for your studies. This won't include books, as hopefully Harry has all the books you'll need. If any of you need your own copies, then you will need to ask your parents to purchase them for you. Or have them send the money to one of your class mates who have parents that can buy them.
"Those of you who have never been in the mundane world, pair up with a mundane born or one of the Hufflepuffs."
Neville puts his hand up, "Yes Neville?"
"Erm, what's P.E?"
Morgana smiles, "P.E. Stands for physical education. As I believe in practicality as well as fun, I will be teaching you all how to use weapons, starting with the spear and then moving onto the sword and shield, as well as other weapons. As soon as Dora and Marie are good enough at Celtic magic, all three of us will be teaching each of you unless any of you are Christian. If you are, speak to me after class one day this week and I'll see what I can some up with. Though it may be a geas to never teach anyone without my explicit permission, and to never use what I teach you in service of a church. Once you've all got the basics down, we'll add fun games like hide and seek, tag, and follow the leader to the mix. This is only open to you, not whoever gets picked tonight. Think of it as a reward for wanting to study rather than cosy up to a magically powerful person."
The Hufflepuffs all break out into excited chatter that quickly includes the other students. Morgana gives them a minute before saying loudly, "Any other questions about the class, not Celtic Magic."
Hermione puts her hand up, "What are we doing today?"
Morgana smiles, "Today we're going into Glasgow for your clothes and supplies. To start with we're going into BHS. Once you've all got a couple of tracksuits, some shorts, t-shirts, and trainers that fit, we'll head into WHSmith for pens, pads, and a cheap calculator each."
Further conversation is cut off when she waves her hand and a portal opens into an alleyway on Buchannan Street.
Just over an hour later, it's an excited group of first years that come back carrying bags with their new clothes in them.
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Morgana is present at dinner once more, and once desert has appeared on the tables, she stands up and clears her throat using a touch of illusion to make it clearly audible across the chatter.
"Good evening everyone. Professor McGonagall gave me all of the letters that arrived over the weekend, and I've spent the afternoon going through them. Mr Malfoy, I would like to thank you for being so prompt with informing your father about the space available. Anyone would think you'd used the Floo without permission with how quickly the owl returned. However, not only are your grades not good enough, you also have a pre-existing antagonist relationship with the majority of the existing class. As your name was first, it's what prompted me to look at the applicants."
Malfoy's face goes from triumphant to chagrined to absolutely devastated in the time it takes for her to speak.
"Kellah from Gryffindor, congratulations, you are the last member of the class. Your grades have been consistently good, I've not heard anything bad about you, and you're not too boisterous. Blaze Zabini from Slytherin, if we had two spaces available, you'd have got the second space. Again, you have consistently high marks, you haven't taken part in any of the powerplays in your house, and you have a quiet but confident presence. The only other person I need to call out is Ronald Weasley, your grades have been appalling, you're lazy, and you bully anyone that actually wants to work. And that's just what I've observed this afternoon. You have an opportunity to improve and change before you get to your third year and have electives as well as the core classes to work on. If you want to stand out from the rest of your brothers you can either continue as you are now, and forever be known as a failure, or you can change your ways."
Suddenly Morgana's eyes turn white as they glow with power, "Ronald Billius Weasley, your fate is laid before you. To continue your life now you will die a paupers death face down in a gutter, a knife in your back. Your eyes and skin will be yellowed with disease, and your fingers clubbed, an expression of agony forever etched on your face. If you change you will die a peaceful death with silver hair and a smile on your face. Your fate has been seen and told."
At the Hufflepuff table, Harry puts his head in his hands while Susan and Daphne share a glance.
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On Wednesday morning, Morgana stands up from her seat at the side of the classroom and moves to the desk, "Good morning Students and Examiners and welcome to Mundane Magic. In this class I will be teaching you about the magic that mundane people are making with what they call science. We will be going through what they can already do with it, and what they're likely to be able to do with it in the future. For the 10 minutes of this class, we will be running through some of the things that are commonplace, or becoming commonplace, and how they're changing the world.
"To start with, I have here a brand new computer chip. An 80406 to be precise. As you can see it's absolutely tiny, however on this tiny chip they have etched over 1 million runes that they call transistors. To my right is another piece of mundane magic, a modern lab microscope. This one has come from my own office, so please be careful with it. While normally I use it for inspecting scraps of fabric I find on archaeological digs, today I have a much smaller and simpler chip underneath it. This is the 555 timing chip.
"Madam Marchbanks, would you be able to have a look through the eye glasses and move the chip around too?"
Madam Marchbanks totters down to the microscope and has a good look through it, as well as a look at the chip itself, "Hrumph, I don't see what the magic is in this microscope."
Morgana smiles and opens a second portal to her home, the first being a tiny one to provide power to the microscope, "Dora, would you be able to bring the TV through and plug it into the microscope please?"
Dora wheels a TV unit through the portal, an extension cable running back to a plug socket in the house. Once it's in place, she takes a coil of coaxial cable and plugs the free end into a port on the microscope. With that done, Morgana lifts the TV remote off of her desk and uses it to switch the TV on, immediately it starts to show what's under the microscope.
"Madam Marchbanks, can you tell me how that is working?"
Marchbanks looks at the device thoughtfully, moves the slide around a bit, adjusts the focus, and even casts a couple of spells at the device, "I can't say I can, though there is a piece of triangular glass inside the eye pieces. I cannot see anything that should allow this."
Morgana smiles, "Thank you, this microscope has a camera sensor in it that transmits everything it sees down that coaxial cable and into the TV. That sensor is like the chips that I've just shown you, a piece of mundane magic.
"Thus we come to the naming of this course, Mundane Magic. Why do I call it magic?" Moving around the desk she hops up to sit on it, "Normally, the stuff you think of as technology is something you can take apart, study, and put it back together. In the magical community you have Norse inspired runes and enchantments that are used to make everything from stoves to broomsticks and even the rare pensive. You can't just take them apart, you have to understand what they're doing where they are. The same is true of the Integrated Circuit. Since it's invention in 1961 more and more mundane technology has become impenetrable to deconstruction to discover how it works.
"Thank you Dora, if you could take the TV and Microscope back to the house that would be great."
As Dora does this, Morgana continues, "In a moment we will be taking a trip to a 10 pin bowling alley where they have a mixture of what you would recognise as technology, as well as a lot of mundane magic. Over the next few years, I will teach you about these things, how to recognise them, what they're currently capable of, and how to use them. By the end of the course you will be as capable of using mundane magic as most adults are today."
Dora walks back through the portal and signals to Morgana.
"As one of my teaching assistants has finished putting the equipment away, it is time for us to head to the Alley. Please remember that this is a mundane location, so do not draw your wands in front of the security or staff. Magical attire we can explain away, magic is somewhat harder."
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The students and examiners all crowd into the bowling alley, skepticism written on their faces. Shaking her head slightly she first leads them over to security desk.
"Hi Sam, could I show some students your security desk?"
Sam, the security guard looks up, "Sure, knock yourself out." That said, he stands up from his chair and moves over to a wall where he can see everyone.
"Ok everyone, this is the security desk. From here the security guard has access to the security cameras on this bank of small TV's, the announcement system with this microphone, a radio, and a telephone. Can everyone see the TV screens here?... Good, Dora can you walk back to the entrance so that the security camera picks you up please."
Examiner Tofty, who normally examine the Muggle Studies students, leans forward as Dora appears on the screen, "That has to be fake."
Morgana smiles, "Would you care to try the announcement system, and ask Dora to do stuff that we couldn't have planned?"
"And how would I even use it? There's no tube to speak into."
"Press the button on the bottom here, and speak clearly into the mesh at the top."
Tofty presses the button, "This will never… Merlin it is working. There must be a hidden tube here somewhere."
Gently Morgana takes the microphone from him before he rips the cable out, "There isn't a tube, it just uses mundane technology to convert your voice into electricity and sends that down this wire to an amplifier system. It's the same principle as the wizarding wireless uses, only with electricity instead of magic. Now if you would ask Dora to do something before she gets bored and comes back on her own."
Tofty presses the button again, "Dora, wave… Jump up and down… Turn around… Stick your tongue out… Come back and show Professor Rosewood to the camera." Lifting his hand off the button he says, "There, that will prove this is fake. See Dora has just walked back on the screen, and here comes the Professor. This is impossible."
Madam Marchbanks coughs impatiently, "I believe that the fact it's happening would preclude impossible. I presume that there is more to showcase than just this station."
Morgana nods appreciatively, "Indeed, the owner of the bowling alley has allowed us access to the rear of the bowling alleys so that we can see how they're mixing their magic and technology to allow this place to work. If you'll all follow me."
After she's called Dora back using the announcement system, the class are led through a narrow door behind the alleys and to the very noisy machinery that places the skittles and detects what has been knocked over.
"As you can hear," Morgana shouts, "this is very noisy, and also dangerous so I suggest you keep your hands in your pocket Mr Weasley. I do not want to try and explain why we're not calling for an ambulance if you manage to get your hand cut off. If you look above the machinery, you should be able to see a number of cables leading to a black box. This is the computer that controls this particular lane. The black tube that's hanging down over the pins is the camera, it sends the picture to the computer which then detects which pins have been knocked over. I do not know how it works, only that it does. The people that do know how it works all have a degree in the subject, that's equivalent to a Mastery in the magical community. The people that design the individual components that were used, so the camera, computer chips, and the other components all have a Masters Degree or a PhD in the subject or subjects needed. If you'll all follow me, we will have one round of bowling each so that you can see what all of this looks like from the players side. After that, we will be looking at the Arcade. No actually, we'll look at the arcade first and then with the last 20 minutes you can choose where to spend it."
A couple of minutes later, they're all crowded around an open arcade machine, "The owner of the alley was kind enough to open up one of the arcade machines for me, this particular one can play multiple games through a cartridge system, and you may spot the same model around later. As you can see, it has a recognisable TV inside it, and you can probably guess how it works from the shape. Underneath that is the magic that makes the whole thing work. You can see here and here are the integrated circuits that they are using, this slot here with the grey cartridge in is the game. The cartridge itself has it's own integrated circuit inside. One thing I want to point out is this chip here with the paint on it. All of the other chips have the name or numbers clearly visible, but not this one. Can one of the examiners conversant with runes and enchantments confirm that this sort of thing happens in the magical community."
Rosewood nods, "It does, especially in the broom and trunk industries where each family or company has their own way of doing things."
"Thank you. One last thing for you to think about before you all go off to look at the bits that interest you. In this country there are over 60 million people. However, there are probably only around the same number of people that could design these integrated circuits, or computer chips as they are commonly called, as there are people that make expanded trunks in the magical community. Last week I called Intel, the makers of the computer chip I held up at the beginning of the lesson. According to the person I spoke to, they employ 1,000 people to work on their chip designs world-wide. Consider that there are around 6 ½ billion people living in the world right now, that's tiny. And that is the secret to mundane magic, there are only a relative handful of people in each field that understand and can produce the core components that other people use. At the end of your time in Hogwarts, each and every one of you will be able to do more magic with your wand that they could. However, working together they are able to leverage the tiny amounts of magic into wonders like these games, or the security cameras. How much would your community change if a witch or wizard devised a way to duplicate an enchantment exactly 100 times in an hour, every hour?
"Fred Weasley, 10 points from Gryffindor and go and stand with Dora, I will be over in a moment to retrieve what you took. An additional 20 points for using your wand."
Fred startles, and immediately starts to deny, "I'm not Fred, I'm George."
"Young man, I wasn't born yesterday. Your magic says differently, now unless you want me to confiscate your want you will join Dora Now!"
As Fred slinks off, Morgana looks around, "Where was I? Oh yes, that's what the mundane do with the computer chips, except they've duplicated that process dozens of times. Now go and have a look around, I have a token for each of you that you can use to try one of the games. Dora and a staff member will be over by the bowling lanes to help you with the technique needed to play this game. If you have any questions, I'll be over by the security desk."
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After retrieving the stolen cartridge from Mr Weasley, who is now sitting on a folding chair by the security desk, Morgana handed out tokens to all the interested parties. As she watches most of the examiners arguing about the inside of the arcade game, Madam Marchbanks totters over on her cane.
"Madam Marchbanks?"
"That was very well done. Mundane magic indeed."
Morgana looks down, "There is a famous author, scientologist, and philosopher by the name of Arthur C Clark. Almost every English speaking mundane will know his most famous quote, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'. That's what this is, and they're only getting better at it. The magic that we use, it's individual, it's based on an individuals intent, vision, and power. I've never heard of anyone making something that can make things without being used directly by someone with magic. The mundane have had machines to do that for over 150 years. It started with automatic weaving machines that were extremely dangerous for the people maintaining them. Now they have production lines for food where a few people put the ingredients in one end, and out the other end comes thousands of packets of food, drinks, or whatever it is they're making. The things that might as well be magic are also getting smaller." Morgana reaches into her bag and pulls out a mobile phone, "When I first moved into Dunblane, mobile telephones like this one were around three times the size of this one. Each one of those cabinets contains a computer that in the 1970's would have filled a room. The security cameras you see here also exist outside on the streets. Mostly in London at the moment, but have no doubt that will change. If Harry hadn't come from your community, I doubt I'd have ever come in contact with it. However, I have and my son may choose to live in it as a mortal or a Danann. That's why I'm doing this. If your community is going to survive, your children need to know how to live out here. They need to understand just how quickly things are changing and how easy it is to trip yourself up."
Marchbanks nods, "I see. Very well, I will indicate my approval for your name change. What about the other classes going on today?"
"They'll all be the same thing, as I looked through the old muggle studies text books, and the last thing they talk about is the use of biplanes in world war 1. Nothing about the development of Radar in the 1940's, despite your community having a large war going on at the same time. Nothing about television, computers, space travel, or any of the other major landmarks for mundane people. This year, a lot of the focus is going to be on communication, computers, and surveillance on an overview level. That will give those that are taking their exams the basic grounding they need. Next year I was thinking about covering the technology they use in and around the home."
Marchbanks nods again, "Commendable, however one of the requirements has always been that those taking the exams can operate in the muggle world, to buy something, wear appropriate clothing, and the like. You will need to find time to include this too."
Morgana's mouth twitches, "Thank you for warning me so early. I trust that there are the necessary funds for students to familiarise themselves with?"
"There are, I believe that we allow 1 Galleon per student each term."
Morgana thinks for a moment, "That's around £5, I can work with that. I think I'll take the students to the cinema for the end of year trip, and maybe an outing to C&A or Littlewoods for their fashion requirement this term."
"If you think that's appropriate then do it. We normally just take them to the leaky cauldron and give them a list of things to buy."
Morgana suddenly snaps her fingers, "I just remembered something." Her hand darts into her handbag and comes out with a credit card sized calculator with Casio emblazoned on the back, "Here, have a souvenir. It's a solar powered calculator, if you press the AC button it will turn on. The C stands for clear, and the AC stands for All Clear. A sales rep gave it to me when they tried to get me to buy some Casio gear for my work as an Archaeologist. It has 8 digits you can work with, as well as a chip inside it.
Soon enough it was time to leave, and George Weasley lost Gryffindor another 10 points for trying to walk off with a souvenir.