[HPforGrownups] Re: Astronomy + ideas for classes

[Dave Hardenbrook]

No: HPFGUIDX 8011

At 02:21 PM 12/28/00 +0000, Flying Ford Anglia wrote:
>*Herbology = Botany/Gardening
>*Care of Magical Creatures = Zoology/Vetinary Science
>*Arithmancy = Arithmetic/Mathematics
>*Potions = Chemistry/Cookery/Pharmacology
>[etc.]...

This makes sense to me (especially as Snape reminds me of
my college chemistry teacher).

>... a few topics that don't seem to
>be covered much at all: Terrestrial Geography (it's no wonder that
>no one knows where anything is located), Modern Languages, English
>Lit, Art, Music and Sex Education spring to mind.

A quick OT question: What is Sex Ed. like in the UK?  Over here
in the States you need a note from your parents to take it, and at that
they only discuss STD.  (The rest they assume you learn for yourself
behind the bike sheds.)

>Overall, the curriculum seems very science-heavy and could do with an
>injection from the creative arts.  For example, I'd love to see
>the Sorting Hat coaching the Hogwarts' School Choir ­ that
>would have so much comic potential.

Shouldn't there at least be a course in Chanting?

>LINGOMANCY ­ the study of spellcasting languages;

It seems to be this would be a part of Ancient Runes

>NUTRIGENESIS ­ the science of creating tasty food items from the
>ether;

I've been wondering -- Does creating things _ex nihilo_ come under
the heading of Charms or Transfiguration?  And *what* exactly is
getting charmed or transfigured?  Air?  The Ether?  Quantum Foam??

>KINETAESTHETICS­ the development of skills in the artistic
>representation of moving images.

I like this one... *Someone* must have painted Hogwarts' paintings.

To this I would add:

-- Magical Maladies and Medicine (Where did Madam Pomfrey learn??)

-- Magical Music (Maybe Dumbledore is trying to start this one at Hogwarts.)

-- Magical Machinery:  There's plenty of these in fantasy -- such as
      Tik-Tok the clockwork man in the Oz Books and the Sultan's
      mechanical flying horse in the movie _The Thief of Bagdad_ --
      so it seems there should be a class.  And things like the
      Weasley's clock could be covered.

-- Magical Home Economics: How to get rid of garden gnomes,
      make sauce come out of your wand, etc.  (Mrs. Weasley could
      teach this.)

-- Fundamental Magical Physics: How Magic works on the most
       fundamental level... This would be the Magical equivalent
       of Quantum Physics.



                                                 -- Dave