Global Citizenship - Lesson 1 (closed)

Dominique knew that she was sticking out like a sore thumb. As she knew that she was the only first year in the class. But she wasn’t going to let that bother her that she was in a class with older students. As she was going to do her best. She was going to have to prove that she could keep up with everybody else.

She then started to take her notes. As this was going to help her with her homework later. As this was going to benefit and help her in the long run. Professor wrote on the board and Dominique was writing it down. Where did it all began? She really wasn’t sure of herself. So she didn’t want to speak up. But she was hanging on every word that everyone else was saying.

As she was sure that the others knew what they were talking about. Dominique knew that she was going to need help if she wanted to do well in this class.

The answers came from the two girls Adelaide expected to do well in this module. It was good to see the old ways being retained not just in presentation but intellectualism too. Tess Marie and Elenore Lissette had clearly done their readings without being told to do so, an imitative the redhead could only hope the rest of her students would soon pick up.

"Five points apiece," she remarked casually to the two young women who had ventured an answer before seamlessly sliding into the lecture again. "Of course, early civilizations had an entirely different dynamic for interacting with magic. Or even interactions between the magical and the mundane. " As she spoke, the picture on the board was replaced by an ordinary hut next to what could only be described as a palace built on magic and emitting colorful smoke clouds from a floo chimney.

"Magical and non magical humans, animals, plants, all managed to coexist in a somewhat functional fashion. In some cultures, the magical were celebrated while in others they were relegated to specific tasks like healers and tomb designers." An image of an Egyptian queen flashed across the board, with hundreds of serfs knelt in front of her. "The Ancient Egyptians believed magic to be a gift from the gods, so any witch or wizard borne among them was destined to rule."

The image of the queen faded only to be replaced by a group of men on a boat, seemingly conducting water to flow a certain direction. "The Mesopotamian sent out wizards to redirect the flow of water to better help their crops and settlements. Romans employed wizards for strategies in wars. Not to put too fine a point on it, the magical world was fully engaged with its Muggle counterpart. The world was treated as a angular resource that everyone could benefit from using their various talent. There was a place for everyone in the machine of life."

Perhaps the statement was a bit dramatic but it would catch the interest of anyone truly paying attention. However, as the Headmistress finished speaking, the pictures all faded, leaving the room completely dark. Not a single source of light illuminated the classroom for a full thirty seconds, and then Adelaide's voice permeated through the room once more, soft yet with a greater impact than ever.

"That is no longer the case." Slowly, the lights began to turn on, dim at first but brightening steadily to reveal the harsh reality of today. "Ever since the signing of the international statute of secrecy, we no longer simply hid but we stopped contributing to the bigger picture. And because of our small population size and self imposed segregation, the Muggles far outstripped us. As the world become a "global village" we continued in our own tiny pods and as a result, lost our voice at the international table." All of this was not an opinion on Adelaide's part, merely fact that her students needed to understand.

"Would someone care to explore how we have now disengaged from the world at large? Any examples to demonstrate the flaws of segregation and isolation?"

Dominique listened as the headmistress was asking where did it all begin. She was really nervous about this. The headmistress was asking for of some ways that their ancestors would channel magic. The first thing that came to her mind was runes. But she was going to say that until someone else gave that answer. Now she knew that she really was over her head. She really wished that she would of paid attention to her mother when she was talking about history. But she was just a first year and she would be learning things. Even if she knew that she got it wrong. It wasn’t going to be the end of the world. As she knew that she would be corrected.

She then raised her hand as she was going to give it her best. “ Bones?” Now she could try and explain that she hoped it was right. “ Witches used to communicate with bones.” Dominique now was regretting that she even raised her hands. This class had nothing but older classmates.

Adelaide could almost feel the tremor in Tess Marie's voice radiating through the class as she approached the question with all the caution of one approaching a ticking bomb. Had the redhead been more maternal, more nurturing or even more empathetic, she would have simply nodded, indicating she understood the young prefect's answer without her having to elaborate upon it.

But the Headmistress was neither of these things, and answering tough questions would only prove good practice for the young French girl in future. It was a hard lesson to learn that you or your ancestors may have gone wrong somewhere but these students would have to learn it eventually. Why not do so through a teachable moment like this?

While Adelaide had no patience for compassion and whatnot, the woman did appreciate strength where she saw it, and Tess Marie was demonstrating some right now by continuing to answer despite how uncomfortable it made her. The Headmistress wondered how many in the class even grasped that the young woman was recounting the rights her own Family had given up in favor of the Statue. How much more influential the Holmes name would have been on a global scale had it not been for the treaty?

"That is accurate, take another five points," she spoke curtly before acknowledging the wilting first year who raised her hand to attempt an answer. The words coming from the young Gryffindor... A Grey, were much too late, but they were correct nonetheless.

"Miss Grey, please attempt to keep up," she snapped, looking irately at the child. "Or if you wish to spend your time sleeping, might I suggest your dormitory be a better venue for that than this classroom?" She would give the tiny thing a few points anyway for a show of spunk but the point could not be stressed hard enough that this was not a class to day dream in.

"You may have two points for your belated but correct answer, though if I catch anyone not paying attention in this class next time, there will be deductions. And a strong recommendation for you to join something less intellectually challenging like Defense."

Having made her point, she turned to the class once more, back to her clipped, professional tone in which she delivered her lecture. "Now, it is not for me to argue the merits and demerits of the Statute of Secrecy. As it is, you'll be hearing that plenty by the media in the days to come - that is of course if you bother to keep up with international news. You must make up your own minds but I highly encourage you to seek out all opinions before doing so."

The redhead paused, contemplating each student before her carefully, wondering how many of them had it in them to truly be challenged. It was always easier to follow an established belief system, be if familial, of a friends' group or mass communicated through the media. A scant few rejected the popular opinion and truly opened their minds to possibility.

"What I would like is for you to further explore the civilizations we briefly touched upon today as your homework assignment. Specifically, I would like you to research and more importantly realize that the world once worked very differently than it does now, and worked it did. For better or for worse I leave up to you to conclude but it did exist, bringing about perhaps the most frighting notion of all." Here, the witch paused again, this time for gratuitous effect.

"That it will continue to work without us too. Without the social norms and structures we have in place, without the strata we cling to as our gospel truth. Each of these civilizations had their own convictions and yet the world moved on without them. We are no different." Adelaide doubted many would understand the gravity of her statement but for the few who did, they would only be better off for it.

"Your homework is worth ten house points, to be delivered to my assistant's desk via owl in due time. No late entries will be entertained. No make up homework will be assigned. Please have your name and house on your essays lest you wish for it to go unmarked."

As she spoke, the board changed once more, now showing their homework question and instructions. The witch waited a few minutes as the students copied the question before she dismissed the class.

HOMEWORK