Shooting Stars in Summer

Minerva McGonagall peered at the offending frame, and the picture within it. They stared back at her, almost mocking in their defiance, as she tapped her wand against her lips in thought. What in the world would she replace them with?

The picture was the sole reminder of her predecessor that remained in the office she’d taken from him. Barring that brief, dark year where Severus had inhabited the castle as it’s Headmaster, and that short time when that disaster of a woman, Umbridge, had attempted to rule with an iron fist which we did not speak of thank you very much, this office had been Albus’s unfettered domain for more than 40 years.

The man had spent most of his life at Hogwarts in one capacity or another. He seemed to many, Minerva knew, to be rather larger than life. If she had come in and begun an immediate overhaul, tearing down knick-knacks and baubles like a rampaging minotaur in a broom shop, there would have been outrage and riots from everyone who’d ever known him. At the time, she’d even considered keeping the office the same, a pristine memorial to her dear, late mentor and friend.

She’d lasted a year.

It was too difficult, working every day and seeing glimpses of Albus all around her. Every time she turned she expected to see his flowing beard and ridiculous robes. She’d hear the tinkle of his laughter faintly in the background as she scribbled on parchment, or catch glimpses of his smile out of the corner of her eye.

He’d also Charmed his damned bowls to Transfigure anything she put in them into some form of candy. She couldn’t undo the Transfigurations, and even Filius couldn’t determine what pattern there was, if any, to the order the Charm determined for candies. Damn that man’s sweet tooth.

Those bowls were the first thing to go after one full school year living in Albus’ shadow. She’d replaced them with a set of bowls she’d found in a quaint little shop in Diagon, both matching and neither of them Charmed. She filled the largest bowl with fruit, had a portrait of the bowl commissioned, which she Charmed to mirror the arrangement of the apples and bananas and oranges displayed on her desk. A much healthier option of snack for any students she needed to have meetings with.

The smaller bowl from the matching set, which was filled with candies, she kept hidden in a drawer for special occasions.

That was four years ago, and she stood now in front of the last remaining item to be excised, the final piece to be replaced to make this room entirely her own design. It had transitioned slowly from an eccentric's laboratory and an academic's reprieve in to an administrators workplace and an educator’s office. Clean lines, organized files, the space was now wholly her own and she kept it immaculate.

Albus’s portrait, when it had finally woken up, had been fervently in support of her campaign. He championed her personalizing the office entirely to her tastes. She spent each summer doing bits and pieces, the school year far too busy.

She was tempted to leave this last piece, though, no matter how much Albus protested.

It was a portrait of Hogwarts, from such a view that everything was visible. Every tower, all the grounds, a hint of the lake in the distance. Even Hagrid’s hut was clearly shown, nestled near the Forbidden Forest. The portrait revealed small wisps of smoke rising from his cabin, and lights flickering within the windows of the castle. The lake rippled gently in one corner, while in another the wind scattered the leaves of the Forest. She was always sure she was just a moment too late or too early to see a herd of centaurs peeking through the trunks, galloping about.

It had always been her favorite piece in Albus’s office. She liked to think she loved Hogwarts just as much as he did, and the large, ceiling to floor picture was exactly the view she thought of when someone mentioned her school. One piece as a memorial wouldn't be as difficult to endure as a whole room enshrined to him, certainly. How could it?

A flutter of wings and a gentle hoot heralded a tawny owl which swept in to her office through the open window, bringing with it a soft summer breeze. Broken from her concentration and reflection, she gladly took the opportunity to be saved from her conundrum. Summer may be less busy than the school year, but not by that much, not for the Headmistress.

She fed the diligent little owl a small treat absentmindedly as she took the letter from it’s leg. It was addressed to her, but she didn’t recognize the penmanship. Upon opening it, her brow furrowed further.

August 16th, 2004
Headmistress Minerva McGonagall,

We are writing to inform you that you have been named in a will which has recently been probated and is waiting to be executed. Our Client had not requested a full reading of the will. Please send us back your acknowledgement and what dates or times you might be available to meet with a representative. Alternatively, you can ask to meet a representative during our normal business hours, 9am-5pm Monday through Friday. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
Thomas Dawlish, Legal Clerk
Lawisters and Barryers, Esquire

~

Minerva,

Well, I suppose it’s happened then. I finally went a bit too far. I knew that this summer I might be taking a final risk, one just a bit too much, but you gave me the courage to do it. You were always honest with me, and took the time to let me speak, even when I could tell you were a bit fed up with my ramblings. Your final words to me were such a blessing in disguise. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything. I wouldn’t say that I have many friends. Rather, I wouldn’t say I have any. But if forced to choose, as I suppose I am now with the writing of my will, I would have to say you’re the closest thing I have.

Don’t worry, I won’t leave you in a lurch. I’ve attached a list of potential Astronomy Masters to fulfill my former position. Actually, I’ve left you two lists. One with potentials I would recommend, and another with ones I think you’ll actually accept.

I know it’s selfish of me, and that you’re quite busy, but I do have one final request. If you can manage to find the time, could you follow up on my research? The notes are in the house, I believe. If I managed to prove my theories, please get them published? It’s my life’s work.

I hope you won't need to read this, as it’s really just in case.

-Aurora Sinistra

~

June 22nd, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #1

I’ve decided. I know I’ve been waffling back and forth all year, but with the purchasing of this journal, I’ve decided. Minerva turned me down last summer, as I expected. I really wasn’t surprised, I know some of my theories are too cutting edge for her. She might call them radical. In her own way, though, she was kinder than Dumbledore ever was. Whereas she at least listens to me, makes me feel heard, I always felt as though he brushed me off. Like I was merely a side character in the story of the great Albus Dumbledore’s life.

That’s neither here nor there, though. The point is, she turned me down, and I’ve been thinking all year that if I get myself published, prove myself to her and the rest of the magical world that my theories are correct, then she’ll have to let me teach them in class!

I really don’t even think I’m asking for a lot! We wouldn’t even need to cover it until NEWT level. But because it’s not on the NEWT exam, she won’t even consider that I suppose I can understand her reasoning

Regardless. This is my first step. My first commitment. Ironically, Minerva gave me the push I needed. This journal is to be my research journal. It’ll collect all my thoughts as I begin my delving into the mysteries of the skies, contain all my notes on this exciting new journey.

Well, I say begin. I really mean ‘finally start.’ This project is to be my Magnum Opus. I’ve been researching, discussing, and daydreaming about doing this for years. All my other research projects over the summers have been fun, but this is the one I’ve been dreaming of. It’s my shooting star, the work to eclipse everything else I’ve ever done. I’m just glad I finally have the courage to do it.

I’m finally going to prove that magic is directly affected by the stars above us.

~

June 25th, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #2

I’ve spent two days holed up in my library, the past few pages of this journal are filled with my notes. I’d forgotten how many books I’ve squirreled away here over the years. The house feels empty, now. I think I’ve spent too much time at Hogwarts since

I think I’ve finally come to a conclusion. It took me most of my first day of research to get over the idea stuck in my head to use the Summer Solstice. The Summer Solstice has already passed, yet I still continued trying to find ways to focus my study around it. Even my student’s who received a Troll on their OWL’s could tell me when the Solstice is, at least generally. It would be the most accessible astronomical event for the general public.

Yet, it’s gone and past and I can do nothing about it. One of my greatest regrets as a teacher of Astronomy is that the Summer Solstice is too late in the school year for me to teach on that day, as it would be a wonderful day for the students, and yet still technically during the school year so I may not study it myself.

That is neither here nor there. I’ve come to a new, better conclusion. We are currently experiencing the Perseids Meteor shower. Not as well known as the Solstices and Equinoxes, perhaps, but still a consistent astronomical phenomenon. The falling meteors can easily be seen from my home, which is perfect. More importantly, the event grows in strength over time, lasting from mid July until August 13th.

The showers will be starting in three weeks, but it likely won’t be a problem. If I don’t have everything prepared in time, I’ll simply perform my control experiment without the effect of the meteors after the shower has ended. With more than a month until the peak of the shower, and three weeks or so until the showers start at all, I should have more than enough time to draw some reasonable data.

I think I should reach out to my old colleague Tiberius Thodos. He co-wrote the paper on the effects of astronomy on different plants, how moon-orchids which can only bloom in a full moon can also be affected by other astronomical events. I believe he has something else, some paper or work I’m forgetting, that might work perfectly for my purposes.

~

Interview with Tiberius Thodos Transcript, Scribed by Self Writing Quill
August 21th, 2004

Minerva: Thank you for coming, Mr. Thodos. Please have a seat. Help yourself to a small snack, if you wish.

Thodos: Thank you for inviting me. I haven’t ever taught before, but I can’t say I’d turn down an opportunity to work at Hogwarts.

Minerva: No, I don’t imagine many people would. We managed to be able to find a new Defense professor every year for near on 30 years, after all. If that doesn’t speak to our reputation, nothing will!

Thodos: It is quite impressive. Although, I must say I’m surprised you’d reach out to me for the position. I don’t know that we’ve ever met before. Where did you say you heard about me?

Minerva: I didn’t say. However, you came recommended from an old work colleague of mine. Aurora Sinistra.

Thodos: Oh? She recommended me when she resigned? How kind of her! You know, she should have another paper coming out soon, if her summer went as well as I expect it did.

Minerva: You… haven’t heard?

Thodos: Heard what?

Minerva: Aurora Sinistra has passed away. I’m so sorry to be the one to tell you.

Thodos: Oh dear! No, I hadn’t heard. I’m terribly sorry for your loss. -pause- I suppose her research went a bit awry?

Minerva: I’m not entirely certain of that. I’m still going through all her old things. The Ministsry hasn’t gotten back to me about their investigation yet, either, so I could only speculate.

Thodos: I’m so, so terribly sorry to hear that. If only I’d known.

Minerva: Yes, well. I must admit to an ulterior motive. You were mentioned in her research, more than once. When I saw your name on the list she gave me of replacement teachers, I felt obliged to reach out to you.

Thodos: Ha! I’m surprised she recommended me. We didn't leave on the best of terms. I warned her that her research could be dangerous. Arithmancy never was her strongest suit, but she wouldn’t take my help when I offered. She could graph and chart a star map with the best of them, use mathematics I’d balk at to predict the skies. But ask her to use that same math for anything other than astronomy? Well. If it wasn’t in the sky, it wasn’t that important to her. I suppose I should have been more forceful in offering to help, but she felt she’d already accepted too much help from me to begin with. Kept calling this her ‘Magnum Opus’ or her ‘Shooting Star.’

Minerva: There’s nothing you could have done, Mr. Thodos. If you’d like, we can reschedule the interview? I’m terribly sorry you had to find out like this. I had thought that you’d have heard, by now, I put the obituary in the paper as quickly as I could. I’m still working on arranging the uneral and all that.

Thodos: Yes, I do believe that would be for the best. I spoke with her so recently, it’s hard to believe she’s actually gone. When would work for you to reschedule?

Minerva: Sooner, rather than later, I’m afraid. I need a new professor for the beginning of the year.

Thodos: If tomorrow works, at noon? I just, I need the evening to compose myself, I think. And please, please tell me when the funeral will be.

Minerva: Of course, sir. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.

~

First Draft, Proposed Changes to Lesson Plans, 2002
Aurora Sinistra, Astronomy
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Summary:

In this proposal, I aim to lay out a few small, but consequential changes which I believe will radically alter the interest in the Astronomy class at higher years. It is currently a required course up through OWL years, and it is my belief that this is for the best. A solid grounding in Astronomy is vital to any wizard or witch who wishes to become the best they can be. But the percentage of students who drop the course is staggeringly high, with very small NEWT classes as a result.

Astronomy is most certainly an interdisciplinary study, with relevance to Herbology, Potions, Divination and so much more. While new strides have been made in the field, and are constantly being discovered, no true changes to the outlined curriculum have been implemented in 63 years.

As a teacher I have updated the material to be it’s most accurate, but there are brand new theories being worked on which are attempting to validate long held beliefs about Astronomy which our current curriculum really has no place for. I would petition to update the structure of the curriculum to be more reflective of some of the subject’s more enticing or experimental aspects.

Proposed Changes:

1st Year
No Proposed Changes.

2nd Year
No Proposed Changes.

3rd Year
Remove unit on divinatory principles of Astronomical Phenomenon.
Add unit on importance of Astronomy to different magical holidays throughout the world

4th Year
Remove unit on divinatory principles of Astronomical Phenomenon.
Add unit on ancient uses of Astronomy in regards to Magic.

5th Year
No Proposed Changes.

6th Year
Add unit on effects of Theoretical Astronomy.
Add unit on Astronomical Phenomenon and their effect on different aspects of magic; specifically its effect on holidays, important magical acts, and other esoterica.

7th Year
No proposed changes.

~

July 20th, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #6

I’ve completed all the calculations, finally. I’ve come up with the measurement tools as well. It’s all been worked out on the pages between this and my last few entries in this journal.

The Perseids have already started, but they won’t be visible for a while yet, and I have more than enough time to gather data. I’m itching to begin, but I have to force myself to go slow. The work I’m doing must be correct, must be exactly right. The work I’m doing is dangerous. It’s at least as dangerous as it is difficult.

Because truly, how can one measure the amount of Dark Magic an object holds in any objective way? Certainly, there are spells and charms which can detect Dark Magic, but to quantify it? That would be a whole other project of its own.

Yet the way my experiment is designed, it can purify multiple objects at one time. Going to Tiberius for this was likely the best decision I could have made, as I suspected his previous ritual was exactly what I needed. I can now gauge effectiveness in regards to purity when some of the objects are purified and others are left tainted. How many remain tainted will be a good measuring tool. It won’t be an exact measurement, but with Dark Magic, is anything ever truly exact? Severus always said, the Dark Arts are truly an Art, more than most any other kind of magic.

I wonder if Tiberius ever considered that his ritual even could purify multiple items? Perhaps I’ll ask him sometime.

Regardless, this led me to a new problem. Using multiple items won’t work if they all have different enchantments upon them. It wouldn’t be a reliable method of measurement.

I’ll have to enchant my own.

Oddly enough, it was Katie Bell that I drew inspiration from. Someone, I can’t for the life of me remember who, called the necklace which cursed her one of ‘the most vile pieces of simplistic magic ever seen.’ It took longer than I’d like, and a few deals I’m not proud to have made, but Borgin and Burkes will sell anything, for the right price. I now know how to cast the curse.

It isn’t easy. It’s an entirely new mindset, a type of magic which requires I feel a certain emotion. It’s a creeping, insidious bitterness I need to focus on, and it’s a feeling that comes all too easily. I’ll have to spend the next week and a half preparing as many necklaces as I can to purify. I’ve never cast any Dark Magic before, never felt any sort of allure to it. This will be a new experience. I’m a little scared This will be worth it to prove, once and for all, that my theories are correct.

~

August 3rd, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #11

It was an unmitigated success. I spent all week preparing the necklaces, then relaxed to regain my strength during the following few days. It was not easy to prepare those necklaces, or to put myself in the right state of mind to cast such Dark curses so repeatedly. I shudder to think that it might have gotten easier by the end. Severus never mentioned how difficult it could be, nor how simple.

I prepared fifty necklaces for the ritual. More than I’ll need, most likely, but better safe than sorry. Nine of them have been completely purified. I cast as many Dark detecting charms as I knew, then once I was completely certain, I wore each of the ones that had been purified. No response, not even a cough.

I’ll spend tomorrow writing up all of my research, and preparing new necklaces. I have a good feeling about this.

~

August 5th, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #12

I believe I’m on to something, finally. It’s evening, now, late at night, and I’m exhausted. I know I’m exhausted, because I haven’t slept for nearly 30 hours. I am not the young witch I once was.

And yet, I do not feel tired. I feel invigorated. This is the work I’ve been striving towards my whole life. I have charts upon charts of the best locations around the world to see the meteor shower the world over, calculations and theories I’ve been devising the past 5 hours while I should have been sleeping. Once I prove myself, I can spend the next few summers travelling to different locations, see if the visibility and closeness of the Perseids affect the strength of the ritual.

The second phase of my experiment managed to purify thirteen of the necklaces. I hope I can handle casting the curse ten more

The work itself is also incredibly alluring. If I didn’t know for a fact that the magic I was working was purifying, I’d almost say that it was more addictive than the Dark Curses I’ve been casting. I’ll continue to record my thoughts interspersed between the notes and calculations that this journal is quickly becoming filled with.

~

Aurora,

I know we didn’t end on good terms. And we certainly haven’t talked in a while. A long while. It’s been so long, though, that I just wanted to check in. I know you have a tendency to seclude yourself, to become sequestered from other people as that brilliant mind of yours works its way around a problem like the moon around the sky.

I don’t want you to withdraw so far in to yourself that you forget that there is a world down here below the stars for you as well. The mysteries above have always been and will always be your first love, I know that now, but there are things on this earth that hold meaning too. I hope you can see that.

I’m sure you won’t want to come, and I’m not sure if you’ll even care. But after telling her everything, Nora insists I invite you. The invitation is included with this letter. I’m sorry if it offends you.

Thinking of you,
Telluric

~

You have been cordially invited to the union of:

Nora Triskus

And

Telluric Sinistra

As they move together towards their second, and final, happiness​

~

August 9th, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #14

I now more fully understand what all the books, and everyone I’ve spoken to, has said about the Dark Arts. It’s so easy to slip up, to stumble and trip and fall until suddenly you’re immersed in Dark Magic. The words slip from my tongue so smoothly, and the Dark, hateful emotions needed to cast such terrible magics well up so easily in me now. I shudder at what I would be like if I were casting these magics without purifying myself every other night.

Although, I’m not sure that I am being purified as well. I feel such a swell of emotion and power coursing through me as I purify the necklaces, and I hunger for more. No one talks about the addictive property of intensely Light magic. I’m falling into a terrible cycle. It would make for a good research paper, though. Maybe for my next experiment, after this one is published.

I’ve finished the most recent batch of necklaces. I am now creating more than half the fifty original cursed necklaces each day after the ritual. But the data I’m retrieving of the path of the meteor showers, the growing strength of the shower over time, and the growing strength of the ritual, it’s all correlating directly. Watching each meteor fall to earth, and the corresponding burst of purifying flame that erupts from my ritual circle, it is a beautiful sight.

I’m worried though. It looks like I miscalculated the growth rate of the purifying fires. If my new predictions are correct, the stated 50 necklaces may not be enough. I can’t add any new factors into the ritual at this late in the experiment. I don’t know how the ritual will react if there is an excess of energy after all the necklaces have been purified.

Hopefully it won’t come to that.

~

August 12th, Aurora Sinistra’s Research Journal, Entry #16

It’s the morning of my final ritual, the ultimate expression of this work of magic. The last time I performed it, I purified all but two of the fifty necklaces. I have created as many necklaces in the past two days as I had in the week leading up to this experience, I’ve lost count of how many I’ve made over the past week. The Dark Curse comes more easily to me now. The malicious magic lingers in the air around me, I can feel it, heavy, everywhere I go.

I spend so much time in the ritual circle now, even when not performing the rites. It is the only place in my house which has not been infected with the nearly impenetrable sense of looming Darkness. Maybe it will purify me of the Dark thoughts which circle my mind even when not casting the Dark Curse I need for my ritual.

I worry what will happen with the excess energy during the ritual. I should write to Tiberius and see what it was like for him, but there’s no time. I doubt he’ll receive my owl before this evening. But I’m sure there was energy in excess of the requirements of the object he was purifying. Unless he was just incredibly lucky. He always did have more luck than he should.

A part of me wants to stop, the tiny voice inside that is worried. But then I think that this will be the greatest achievement of my life, my Magnum Opus, my Shooting Star, and I know that whatever the potential consequences, I have to see it through. I’m reminded once more of Minerva’s words to me at the end of this most recent school year, as she was throwing out the last of Albus’s strange silvery knick knacks.

“Sometimes the things which are the best for us are the hardest of all to do.”

~

Interview Transcript, Second Interview, Scribed by Self Writing Quill
August 22nd, 2004

Minerva: Thank you for meeting me again so quickly. How are you holding up?

Thodos: About as well as can be expected. We weren’t close, Aurora and I. Work colleagues, more than anything. It was just the sudden shock of someone I’d spoken to and worked with so recently. Until this summer, I hadn’t seen or spoken to her since a conference going on three years back. She was never especially social, but she was active in the astronomical academic community. She’d become even more of a recluse over the past few years though.

Minerva: Oh? I can’t say I’d noticed, but as you said, she and I were mostly work colleagues, or so I thought. She named me the inheritor of her will, did you know?

Thodos: No, she hadn’t mentioned.

Minerva: It was recent, I think. I got the impression she knew her experiment might go wrong. But, moving forwards. The interview.

Thodos: Of course! If Aurora recommended me I’d best represent her as well as I can, eh? Ah, did you receive my resume? I owl’ed it to you, but I received no response. Although, with how busy I imagine you must be...

Minerva: Yes, I did receive it. I have a copy here. You seem to have all of the qualifications necessary, and quite a list of accolades. I’ll be honest, Aurora gave me two lists. One filled with candidates I would likely hire, and one filled with candidates she would recommend that she did not think I’d approve of.

Thodos: I suppose I was on the second list?

Minerva: Indeed. Yet looking at your accolades and accomplishments, I can’t imagine why. You seem to be the best candidate I’ve seen so far. The fact that you’ve given lectures before, Muggle and Magical, leads me to believe you’re the best man for the job. There’s more to teaching than just knowing the subject matter, I’ll have you know.

Thodos: Ah, have you ever read any of my papers? Or, more specifically, my paper from 1992?

Minerva: I can’t say I’m familiar with your work, no. Astronomy has never been my strong suit.

Thodos: Ah, well, I’ll give you the rundown then. You’ll notice in the last decade most of my work had been giving Muggle lectures? I’ve been something of a persona non grata in the magical astronomical community since I released a paper in 1992. Astronomy is my first love, and ritual craft is my second. I combined the two, and created a ritual which could only be performed during a specific astronomical event.

Minerva: Oh? That seems like quite a feat. Not many people can successfully create rituals these days; I’d thought it was something of a lost art.

Thodos: Yes, well, it’s certainly a difficult art. As it turns out, the ritual I created? Successful! But most assuredly not restrained to working during any particular astronomical event. There was a deluge of papers released shortly after mine describing the exact effects of the ritual working just fine during the days when the Perseid meteors were long past.

Minerva: Did you say Perseid meteors? Was this the ritual you shared with Aurora?

Thodos: Yes, a purification ritual. She said she wanted to prove I wasn’t wrong, per se, just not completely correct. Who was I to say no to the opportunity to restore my professional credibility?

Minerva: I see. Would you be so kind as to direct me to that paper or the journal I could find it in?

Thodos: Of course!

Minerva: Thank you. Moving on, tell me, in your own words, what you think the main benefit of teaching astronomy to young wizards and witches should be?

Thodos: Well, it's an interdisciplinary study! It’s so wildly useful and relevant to so many different skills and practices, that neglecting it is a crime!

Minerva: Funny, I think I’ve heard someone say something like that once before.


~

Headmistress McGonagall,

I regret to inform you that we can not say for certain exactly what the cause of death for Aurora Sinistra was. It is most unorthodox to be handing out details of an investigation to someone who is not next of kin, but seeing as the investigation is nearly closed, and you were the sole beneficiary of her will, as well as her employer, I suppose there’s no harm in it.

The Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was alerted at 1:14 am on August 13th, that there had been an overlarge burst of unrestrained magic at the address of 114 Sycamore Road near the town of Alnwick in Northumberland, England. Our overnight agents arrived at the house to find no one home, but a heavy sense of Dark Magic shrouding the area.

Aurors were dispatched straightaway, and the Aurors’ investigation concluded that there had been a ritual of some sort on the property. The ritual circle was not left intact, marred by scorch marks, but the general outline of the circle coincided with the only area on the property to not have a general Dark aura permeating it.

Our Aurors performed some routine checks, and they found traces of Aurora Sinistra’s presence in some of the ashes scattered about the area; we believe they were her remains. Over the next few weeks after quarantining the area and doing more thorough analyses, our Aurors concluded that she perished in some sort of terrible experiment into Dark Magic.

We regret to inform you of this, and hope you don’t think over much on it.. Please let us know if there’s anything we can offer you during your time of grief.

Sincerely,
Arnold Peasegood
Department Head
Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes

~

Magical Meteorites, Astronomical Journal Volume 518
Relationships Between Astronomy and Magical Phenomena, page 76
Research by Aurora Sinistra, Written by Minerva McGonagall

Foreword by Mineva McGonagall

I must say that if you had approached me with the concept outlined in this paper a few mere months ago, I would have laughed and called you a conspiracy theorist, then pronounced it preposterous. In fact, this theory was one of many which my late friend, Aurora Sinistra, wanted to add to the curriculum at Hogwarts, where I am Headmistress. It is to my utter shame that I turned her down without even considering the topic. I now look foolish, as it turns out she was most certainly correct.

Our magic is undeniably affected by the world around us. It is also, as I now have the research to prove, affected by the stars and skies above us. That research is what I present to you in this paper. It turns out there is a reason why our ancestors performed particular rituals in the past on specific holidays.

As you will see, the strength of a ritual can be directly affected by astronomical events. My colleague sadly passed away before she could complete her research, so I have completed what scant work was left, and have written up her findings into the appropriate academic format. I will describe my experience with the ritual I performed in this foreword, the least magically intense of the rituals Professor Sinistra performed every two days, so that you might have a glimpse of understanding into the dedication and passion she put into this project.

On the night of August 30th, two days before the start of a new school year, I stood upon the grounds of Hogwarts with our new Astronomy Professor, an old colleague of Aurora, one Mr. Tiberius Thodos. He devised the ritual I was to perform, and having him there was a large reassurance. He asked me many times if I’d like for him to perform the ritual, but I felt the need to do it myself. I felt, and still feel, as though I owed it to Aurora to finish her work.

We had painstakingly drawn the ritual circle into the ground, carved into the earth by hand rather than by wand. I stood before it in a pure white shift, the 50 cursed necklaces that we’d created set into the center most of two concentric circles. I let my breathing slow, going through meditation exercises I learned years ago when learning the Animagus Transformation, until the moment when the time felt right.

I took two steps forward, and felt the world snap around me into focus.

The ritual had been devised by Thodos to work specifically during the Perseids meteor shower, and he invoked many of its Aspects in the ritual. As such, I went into the ritual with a full sword in one hand, and a shield strapped to my alternate forearm. Both were the same exact items that Aurora had used in her own rituals, the sword a gleaming silver and the shield bearing an image of the Gorgon upon it.

I had memorized the ritual words, which you can find later in this article, and they fell from my lips like drops of rain. Slowly, at first, but with a quickening pace until they were a torrential downpour, entirely out of my control.

A heady feeling enveloped me, and I swayed in time to the cadence of my chant. I reached a crescendo, so thick and full was the feeling of magic in the air that I felt as though I might burst. I felt a seething heat pour from the air into my body, as though the air around me might boil away and I might spontaneously combust. .

A simple swipe of the sword against my opposite palm, and the blood dripping onto the ground acted as the valve to release the magical pressure. My blood spilled and splashed against the earth before seeping into it.

In the center of the two concentric circles, where the cursed necklaces lay, a deep red began to glow through, the color of my blood. It brightened and brightened until it looked as though the necklaces lay on a bed of coal. The hotter it glowed, the less oppressively I felt the warmth within my body. I could feel the purifying magic coming off the center circle like waves of pure heat. Aurora’s notes had said that as the meteors fell, there were bursts of flame, as though each meteor was a fiery tear landing on the ritual. In retrospect, I wish I could have seen it.

In the moment, all I could feel was relief as the pressure lessened and lessened with each drop of my blood that fell.

I am, above all else, a rational woman. But magic is not always rational, not always definable. So twice in one night, for the sake of Aurora, I threw my caution to the wind and trusted my instincts.

For the second time, at some nebulous moment, some undefinable point, I knew the ritual was ending, the same way I knew intrinsically that it had been the appropriate time for it to begin. I pulled off the shield and swiped my bloody palm against the gorgon’s head emblazoned on it. Three full strides sent me to the edge of the circle, and I slammed the shield into the ground at its center.

A blinding flash of light engulfed me, and I’m not ashamed to admit I let out a yelp.

In the dying light of the ritual, I looked down and would have sworn I could see the lengths of snake-like hair hissing and swarming from the Gorgon’s head on the shield.

My shoulders relaxed, and a huge breath left me as the magic dissipated. I felt fresh, in the dying heat of the circle, like all my worries had been burned away. A sense of calm and peace overcame me, although it left just as quickly once I left the circle. The cursed necklaces still gave off such a sense of evil. I wondered if the ritual had worked after all.

As it turns out, it had. Two out of the fifty necklaces had been purged of all Dark Magic.

A smile lit up my face that night, and it hasn’t left since. Aurora’s theories were confirmed.

I am sorry to say that Aurora has passed away, and did not live to see her theories confirmed. The ritual presented in this following article is dangerous. It is the working theory of myself, my colleague Tiberius Thodos, and the Aurors that this ritual is what killed Aurora, specifically the act of using it to purify multiple items at once, a way Tiberius never intended for it to be used.

Please, as you read the academic article to follow, keep in mind the incredible woman who risked everything for this amazing discovery.

~

Minerva closed the cover of Magical Meteors, which had only just arrived by post owl that morning. She stared at it for a long while, then got up from her desk and walked over to the giant portrait of the Hogwarts grounds that until that moment she had still been undecided on.

With a few quick flicks, she levitated it down, shrank it, and then Conjured herself a floor to ceiling rack of shelves, almost akin to a bookcase. She set the journal, face out, on the top shelf. Another flick of her wrist, and the School Year Book from the previous year zoomed towards her. A few flips, followed by a ‘Geminio’ gave her a copy of a picture of Aurora Sinistra. A Conjured frame held the picture up next to the book containing the culmination of her life’s work.

The Conjurations would fade soon, and she’d have to be sure to purchase actual shelves and an actual frame before it happened, but this would do for now. She dusted off her hands with a smile before shrinking the giant frame of the Hogwarts landscape down to a more reasonable size, and heading over to put it in her desk.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea, Minerva dear!” Albus spoke up from his portrait.

“I’m glad we agree, old friend. I think it’ll be quite nice. I just hope I don’t fill it up too soon. There’s lots more to discover, and Hogwarts has some of the brightest minds to ever live on staff.”

Please place all reviews in spoiler tags ~Sorrows

 

Spoiler: Review

Moody would have something to say about this.

This almost didn't make sense until you told us who it was. I like it.

A bit of depth. The lead up to this showed longing and nostalgia and regret that she was having to make such decisions. You had to do very little to convey this --- a commendable effort.

Oof. Here's where everything took a dive. You gave up story telling in lieu of info dumping through journal entries. Back in the day we used to call these letter writing fics. I didn't like them them and I don't like them now -- I'd liken them to the PHO interludes you see in worm fics. And no, I'm not cussing at you, its just how it makes me feel.


Plot & Pacing: 2/5
There is plot and the pacing is there. I'd say pacing is juttery because you go from telling a story to telling the story via journal entries and conversation logs. I don't like this kind of story telling because it makes it clinical. In general it makes me feel nothing, and rather that I'm reading a write up in a magazine about a series of events that took place in some far flung past.

Characters: 4/5
A reminiscent Minerva is a good story telling piece. I feel like if placed in the position she was in, the steps and the choices she made in regards to removing Albus from her life (office) is like the Stages of Grief in a way. I kinda expected the story to be more about that than anything else.

Prompt Use: 2/5
You used both prompts. I'd say that if you had stuck with one your story would have been a lot more solid. Instead, I feel like the "Professors During Summer" prompt is under utilized. Yes, its summer time, and yes, Minerva is doing something. The Ritual aspect was rather interesting and I feel like it could have been its own story, much like the first prompt. You then proceeded to smash them together in a rather unflattering way.

Other: 4/5
Overall, I like this. There are bits here that really speak to me. As I pointed out before, Minerva going through the things of her mentor, the healing process that this entails -- could have been its own story and stood tall among the other entries. I can't say that this is my favorite because I've not read the others yet, but I'd say this is a strong contender. There are bits here for everyone to like.

12/20

 

Spoiler

Sigh

I really wanted to like this piece. Minerva's characterization felt intriguing and the initial hook of Sinestra's death was unexpected. Unfortunately, you then delved into a style of using journal entries to tell this story and I just hated it for it. As a medium of transferring information to the readers, it just ruined all the engagement and investment I had from the opening scene.

The journals and interviews were just bland to me. I started skimming after the second one and it honestly felt like you gave up trying to tell the story in favor of info dumping it on us. Instead of showing us information and piecing together the mystery of Sinestra's death through McGonagall's eyes and (critically) keeping us aware of her emotional state, we got this passive reading.

The interviews in particular were painful. It's not that interviews can't work as a story telling medium (see World War Z the book), but you have to use them as a means of teasing out information, and showing conflict between interviewer and interviewee. Here it's just a back-and-forth that's honestly quite dull.

The mystery's conclusion also felt lacking to me. It didn't feel like a payoff. It didn't feel like we were given a suitable answer to what killed her.

 

Spoiler: Review

There is a lot to like here. Your Minerva feels real, her internal voice in the opening is well realised. Using her slow re-ordering of the Headmasters office as a way to explore her feelings about her predecessor was an excellent way to showcase her feelings about her position and Dumbledore. I wish you had lingered more on this section, or returned to its themes or imagery to bookend the closing of your story. I don't feel like McGonagall would feel the need to remove every little thing from the office, including a painting she actually liked, but it did feel thematic, a theme that could have been returned too. There was some really good writing there.

I am not in love with the style you wrote the rest of the story in. points for originality, I can see you were going for a SCP Foundation style which I usually enjoy, but I don't think it quite lands here. The formatting does not help. Most of the 'documents' look very similar, there is no change in font or spacing to differentiate them as separate written records, making them feel like disjointed paragraphs.

However beyond that, the letters and interviews failed to pull me in. They felt too long and I found myself skimming more than once. Considering you started this story in a far more conventional format, I think you could have woven the documents in between more scenes from the POV of McGonagall and made the whole thing a more engaging mystery/riddle. The interviews in particular felt pretty flat.

I liked the use of ritual magic, though I feel that you could have given Sinestra a stronger motivation to delve deeply into the darkness than simply proving her magical theory right. Had the ritual had some more significant and personal effect, (wind back time and save Dumbledore and all the lost children of the war for example,) it could have been tied into McGonagall's own feelings and themes, (in this case, loss, letting go of the past etc.) What you wrote had a nice sinister undercurrent which I really appreciated

Overall I think you had some good ideas here. your opening was excellent and demonstrated a mature voice. While I find the later sections less successful, they do show a willingness to experiment and take risks. I think you would benefit from thinking more about unifying thematic elements and character motivations when planning your next story. Good work.