Lesson plans

(Stand where the whole class can see you. Wait for quiet.)

Professor: Good evening, class. Hands up if you looked at the Moon last night. What shape was it?

(Take two or three answers.)

Professor: The Moon has eight faces, and it shows them in the same order every month. Say them after me. New moon. Waxing crescent. First quarter. Waxing gibbous. Full moon. Waning gibbous. Last quarter. Waning crescent.

Students: (repeat each one)

Professor: Waxing means growing. Waning means shrinking. Here in the north, light on the right is growing. Light on the left is shrinking.

Professor: Now a test. I will call a number from one to eight, and you tell me the phase. Five!

Students: Full moon!

(Call four or five more numbers, faster each time.)

Professor: Well done. For homework, look at the Moon tonight and write down its phase. Class dismissed.

Professor: Settle down, please. A question to begin. Why does the Moon change shape? Three guesses, anyone.

(Take three answers. Do not correct them yet.)

Professor: Let us find out. I need three volunteers. You are the Sun, so light your wand. You are the Earth, so stand here. You are the Moon, so walk slowly around the Earth.

(Stop the Moon at four points in its circle.)

Professor: Earth, look at the Moon now. How much of it is lit?

Students: (the Earth answers at each stop)

Professor: Many people say the Earth's shadow makes the phases. It does not. The Moon is always half lit by the Sun. The phase is how much of that lit half we can see.

Professor: Earth's shadow only matters in an eclipse. Who can say it back to me in one sentence?

(Take one answer, then dismiss.)

Professor: Good evening. Who can name a planet? Any planet.

(Collect answers until you have most of them.)

Professor: There are eight, and they keep their order. From the Sun outwards: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.

Professor: Mercury is the smallest. Venus is the hottest. Mars is red with rust. Jupiter is the giant. Saturn has the rings.

Professor: Eight volunteers to the front. I will give each of you a planet. Class, put them in order.

(Let the class sort them. Step in only if they are stuck.)

Professor: Planets, tell us your one fact, starting nearest the Sun.

Professor: If you need help remembering, make up a sentence with the first letters. Share yours on the way out.

Professor: Imagine you are lost at night with no compass and no wand. How do you find north?

(Take a few ideas.)

Professor: You look for seven stars in the shape of a ladle. That is the Big Dipper. The two stars at the end of the bowl are the pointers.

Professor: Charts out. Find the Big Dipper. Now draw a line through the two pointers and keep going.

(Walk round and check charts.)

Professor: The star you reach is Polaris, the North Star. Face it, and you are facing north.

Professor: The other stars wheel around the sky all night. Polaris hardly moves, because it sits almost above the north pole.

Professor: On the next clear night, find the Dipper yourself and note the time. Off you go.

Professor: Let us start with birthdays. You, when is yours? And you?

(Take four or five.)

Professor: Your star sign is the part of the sky the Sun was in on the day you were born. There are twelve. Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Professor: Astrologers sort them into four elements. Fire acts. Earth builds. Air thinks. Water feels.

Professor: Fire signs to that corner. Earth there. Air there. Water there. Go.

(Give them a minute to talk in their corners.)

Professor: Each corner, tell us what your signs are said to have in common.

Professor: Now be honest. Hands up if that sounds like you. Hands up if it does not. Remember both when someone reads your fortune.

(Dim the lights if you can. Hand out the cups.)

Professor: Welcome. Drink your tea until only the dregs are left. Swirl the cup three times, then turn it over on the saucer.

Professor: One rule in my classroom. You say what you see before you say what it means.

Professor: Swap cups with your partner. Describe the shapes. Only the shapes.

(Walk between the tables. Stop anyone who jumps to a meaning.)

Professor: Now open your books and match the shapes. An anchor for steadiness. A bird for news. A snake for a false friend.

Professor: Shapes near the rim are soon. Shapes at the bottom are far off.

Professor: Who has a reading to share? Tell us the shape first, then the meaning.

(Hear two pairs, then dismiss.)

Professor: Hold out the hand you cast with, palm up.

Professor: Three lines matter most. The life line curves around the base of your thumb. The head line runs across the middle. The heart line runs above it.

(Trace each one on your own palm as you name it.)

Professor: Turn to your partner. Find the three lines on their hand. Tell them what you see: long or short, deep or faint, whole or broken.

(Give them time. Listen for anyone inventing a doom.)

Professor: A long line is not a long life, whatever the old books say. We read character, not a date.

Professor: One pair, tell us what you found.

Professor: For next time, sketch your own palm and label the three lines.

Professor: Last night an owl flew past my window in broad daylight. What does it mean?

(Let them guess. Enjoy the wild answers.)

Professor: Before we decide, two columns. On the left, what I saw. On the right, what I think it means.

Professor: What goes on the left? Only what my eyes can swear to.

Students: An owl. In daylight. Flying past.

Professor: Good. Now give me an ordinary reason for it. And now a magical one.

(Write both up.)

Professor: Hands up for ordinary. Hands up for magical. Tell me why.

Professor: The rule is this. First we observe, then we interpret. A diviner who skips the first part is only guessing.

Professor: I need your character's birthday. Write it at the top of your parchment.

Professor: Your star sign is where the Sun stood on that day. Each sign also has a ruling planet, and the planet colours the sign.

Professor: The old system uses only the seven lights we can see without a telescope. The modern one adds three more. I will accept either, if you can tell me which you are using.

Professor: Find your sign and its ruler now.

(Give them two minutes. Help anyone born near the edge of a sign.)

Professor: Now one prediction for your week, in the spirit of your sign. Keep it open. Say what might happen, not what must.

Students: (each reads one prediction)

Professor: At the end of the week, write down whether it came true. Be honest. That is the homework.

Professor: Who remembers a dream from this week? Do not tell us yet.

Professor: Dreams fade fast. That is why a diviner keeps a diary by the bed and writes before getting up.

Professor: Three lines, please. A dream you had, or one you make up. Begin.

(Give them four minutes of quiet.)

Professor: Pass your diary to your partner. Partner, find the symbols. Flying. Falling. Water. Being chased.

Professor: Suggest one meaning. Only one.

Professor: Dreamers, does it fit? Yes, no, or a little?

Professor: Keep the diary for three nights. Bring it next lesson.

(Gather the class at the fence, well back from the creature.)

Professor: Nobody moves until I say so. That is the first rule and the last one.

Professor: A Hippogriff is proud. Insult one, and it may be the last thing you do.

Professor: You walk up slowly. You bow. You keep your eyes on its eyes. Then you wait.

Professor: If it bows back, you may come closer. If it does not, you back away, slowly.

Professor: Who is first? Tell us each thing you do.

(Narrate how the Hippogriff reacts to each student. Let one of them have to back away.)

Professor: What would an insult have cost you? Think about that on the walk back.

Professor: Wand wood has to come from somewhere. What do you think guards the tree?

(Take guesses.)

Professor: A Bowtruckle. It is no longer than your hand and looks like a bundle of twigs. You will not see it until it moves.

Professor: It guards its tree fiercely. Luckily, it can be bought. It loves woodlice.

Professor: Pairs, please. One of you offers the woodlice. The other takes one small twig. Tell me what you do.

(Narrate the Bowtruckle's reaction. Reward patience. Punish grabbing with a scratched finger.)

Professor: We took one twig and left the tree whole. That is how you gather. Carefully.

Professor: What is the most dangerous creature you have ever heard of?

(Take answers. Let them try to outdo each other.)

Professor: The Ministry rates every creature from one X to five. One X is boring. Two is harmless. Three needs a competent wizard. Four is dangerous. Five is a known killer that cannot be tamed.

Professor: I name a creature, and you hold up fingers. Flobberworm!

Students: (one finger)

Professor: Hippogriff. Dragon. Niffler. Acromantula. Bowtruckle.

(After each, ask one student why they chose that number.)

Professor: Here are the official ratings. Who was closest?

Professor: Pick one creature tonight and explain its rating in three sentences.

Professor: Has anyone seen a field of wheat pressed flat into a pattern?

Professor: Muggles call them crop circles and argue about them. We know better.

Professor: The Mooncalf is so shy that it leaves its burrow only at the full moon. Then it dances on its hind legs in the moonlight.

Professor: Its dung is silver, and if you gather it before sunrise, it makes magical plants grow fast and strong.

Professor: We are going to watch one. Plan it with me. Which night? Where do we stand? How do we stay quiet?

(Take their plan. Point out anything that would scare it off.)

Professor: When is the next full moon? Find out, and tell me next lesson.

(Begin in a hurry.)

Professor: Do not panic. There is a Niffler loose in this room, and it has already taken my watch.

Professor: It is small, black and fluffy, with a long snout. It wants anything that shines. It is quick, and it is not sorry.

Professor: One action each. Tell me what you do. You first.

(Narrate every result. Let the Niffler steal something from at least two students.)

Professor: There. It is under the desk. Slowly now. Somebody hold out something shiny.

Professor: Caught. Let us see what it has. A watch. Three buttons. And somebody's badge.

Professor: Calm heads and teamwork. That is how you deal with any small creature.

Professor: Cauldrons on the bench. Scales to your left. Ingredients in a row.

Professor: We read the whole recipe before we light anything. Listen.

Professor: Dried nettles. Crushed snake fangs. Stewed horned slugs. Porcupine quills.

Professor: Light your fire. Nettles in. Tell me when it is done.

(Call each stage and wait for the class to post it.)

Professor: Fangs. Then slugs. Stir gently.

Professor: Now stop. Take the cauldron off the fire. Only then do the quills go in.

Professor: If the quills go in too early, your potion melts the cauldron and gives you boils, which is the opposite of what we want.

Professor: Bottle a sample. Label it. Bring it to my desk.

Professor: Stand at your bench with nothing on it.

Professor: Before any potion, we set up. A tidy bench is a safe bench.

Professor: Cauldron in the middle. Scales to one side. Knife and ladle where you can reach them. Ingredients in the order you will use them.

Professor: Lay yours out now, and tell me where each thing goes.

(Check each station. Move one thing on purpose and see who notices.)

Professor: Safety check. Hair tied back. Gloves on. Is your path to the door clear?

Professor: Where is the nearest water? Where are the antidotes? Point.

Professor: Remember the order. Read first. Measure second. Heat last.

Professor: Three cauldrons, all brewing the same potion. Listen closely.

Professor: The first is pale blue, and its steam rises in slow spirals. The second is pale blue, with no steam at all. The third is grey and smells of burnt hair.

Professor: A potion tells you how it is doing in three ways. Its colour. Its smell. Its steam.

Professor: Which cauldron has gone wrong? Tell me what you noticed.

(Take answers. Push them to name the sign, not just the number.)

Professor: And the second one? Is no steam a problem? It depends on what the recipe says. Always check.

Professor: If your potion smells foul or pours out thick smoke, you stop, and you call me. You do not add something to fix it.

Professor: Your friend has drunk something they should not have. They are turning green. What do you do?

(Take answers.)

Professor: You reach for a bezoar. It is a small stone from the stomach of a goat, and it will save you from most poisons.

Professor: Most. Not all. Each poison has its own antidote, and brewing one takes time you may not have.

Professor: A quick drill. I describe it, and you shout bezoar, antidote, or hospital wing.

Professor: A classmate swallows the wrong potion in my lesson.

Students: Bezoar!

(Run five or six cases. Include one where the answer is the hospital wing.)

Professor: Before you leave, find out where the bezoars are kept in this room.

Professor: When is a potion better than a healing spell?

(Take answers.)

Professor: When the healer is not there. A potion waits in your pocket.

Professor: Today we brew a healing draught. Two ingredients do most of the work.

Professor: Four stages. Prepare. Add. Stir. Wait. Tell me each one as you do it.

(Call the stages. Let small mistakes happen.)

Professor: Check your colour against the book. If it matches, well done. If not, tell me what you think went wrong.

Professor: Bottle it. Label it with the name, the date and what it is for. An unlabelled bottle is a danger to everyone.

Professor: Before the earmuffs go on, listen carefully. The Mandrake's cry will kill you when it is grown. These are young, so it will only knock you out for a few hours.

Professor: Grip the leaves firmly. Pull straight up. Drop it into the new pot. Cover it with compost.

Professor: Earmuffs on. Now. I want to see every pair snug before we begin.

(Check each student. Use hand signals from here until the earmuffs come off.)

(Point to each student in turn. They tell the class what they do.)

(Narrate the Mandrakes fighting back. One should bite.)

(Thumbs up when every pot is covered.)

Professor: Earmuffs off. Well done. Who can tell me what the Mandrake draught is used for?

Professor: In the darkest, dampest corner of this greenhouse there is a plant you must never fight.

Professor: Devil's Snare. The harder you struggle, the tighter it holds.

Professor: I need a volunteer to be caught. Tell us what it feels like.

Students: (the volunteer narrates being wrapped up)

Professor: Class, your classmate is in trouble. What do they do?

(Take suggestions. Narrate what happens with each. Pulling makes it worse.)

Professor: Try this instead. Go still. Now somebody give me some light.

Professor: It hates light and warmth. See how it shrinks away.

Professor: Two things to remember. Relax. Then light.

Professor: On the bench are gloves, earmuffs and goggles. Each is there because somebody once got hurt without it.

Professor: Gloves are for plants that bite, sting or burn. Earmuffs are for plants that scream. Goggles are for plants that spit.

Professor: I name a plant, and you tell me what you put on. Mandrake.

Students: Earmuffs! And gloves!

Professor: Bubotuber. Venomous Tentacula. Chomping Cabbage. Honking Daffodil.

(Ask one student to explain each answer.)

Professor: Two rules in my greenhouse. You do not touch a plant until I say so. And you tell me about every bite, however small.

(Stop the class a few paces from the bed.)

Professor: Look at them from here. Yes, those are teeth.

Professor: A Chomping Cabbage snaps at anything in front of it. So we do not stand in front of it.

Professor: Thick gloves. Come at it from behind. Drop the feed and take your hand away.

Professor: One cabbage each. Tell me how you do it.

(Narrate each snap. Somebody should lose the tip of a glove.)

Professor: Hands up. Everybody count your fingers. Ten? Good.

Professor: Give me two rules for working with a plant that bites.

Professor: Why would somebody who makes potions care what the Moon is doing?

(Take answers.)

Professor: Because some plants only work if you pick them at the right time. At dawn. At dusk. Under a full moon.

Professor: Fluxweed is one. Pick it on the wrong night, and your potion is wasted.

Professor: Plan a harvest for me. Which plant? Which night? What do you carry?

(Give them four minutes in pairs.)

Professor: Check your plan against the Moon. Is your night the right phase?

Professor: Find the next full moon and name one plant you would pick then. That is your homework.

Professor: Give me a spell that only annoys someone. Now one that would really hurt.

(Take one of each.)

Professor: We sort spells by how much harm they mean. A charm changes what a thing does. A jinx is a nuisance. A hex is nastier. A curse is meant to do real damage.

Professor: I name the spell, and you call out the kind. The Tickling Charm.

Students: Charm!

Professor: The Knockback Jinx. The Impediment Jinx. The Blasting Curse.

(Run eight in all. Stop at any the class disagrees on.)

Professor: Some sit in the middle, and wizards have argued about them for centuries. What matters is that you know what you mean to do before you cast.

(A wardrobe in the corner rattles.)

Professor: Nothing to worry about. There is a Boggart in there.

Professor: A Boggart takes the shape of whatever frightens you most. Nobody knows what it looks like when it is alone.

Professor: That is why we face it together. It cannot decide what to be.

Professor: The charm is Riddikulus. But the charm is not what beats it. Laughter is.

Professor: Think of something a little bit frightening. Something silly. Now think how to make it funny.

Professor: Form a line. Step up, cast, and tell us what it turns into.

(Narrate each change. Keep it light. Move the line along quickly.)

Professor: Excellent. Why is a Boggart weaker against a crowd? Tell me next lesson.

Professor: A spell is flying at your face. What do you do?

(Take answers. Somebody will say duck.)

Professor: Ducking is a fine answer. Here is a better one. Protego.

Professor: Say it with me. Protego. A firm sweep of the wand, like this.

Professor: Now the hard part. A shield lasts a moment. Cast it too early, and it is gone when the spell arrives.

Professor: Pairs. One of you casts a harmless jinx. The other shields. Three tries, then swap.

(Walk round. Call out good timing when you see it.)

Professor: When would your character need a shield? Write me a few lines for next time.

Professor: You are swimming in the lake. Something cold closes around your ankle.

(Let that sit for a moment.)

Professor: It is green, with small horns and very long fingers. It is a Grindylow, and it wants to pull you down.

Professor: Now for its weakness. Those fingers are strong, but they are brittle.

Professor: So. It has your ankle. What do you do? You first.

(Narrate each result. Panic makes it hold on. A firm response breaks its grip.)

Professor: Every creature has a weak point. Learn it before you meet the creature, not after.

Professor: Stay calm, and know its weakness. Draw me a Grindylow for homework and label the fingers.

(Stand still. Speak quietly.)

Professor: Wands away. Nobody casts anything in this lesson.

Professor: There are three curses the law will not forgive. One takes away your will. One causes pain. One kills.

Professor: Use any of them on another person, and you may spend your life in Azkaban.

Professor: Why would a society forbid a piece of magic outright? Take a moment before you answer.

(Hear several answers. Let them disagree.)

Professor: Notice that the one which only controls is punished as hard as the one which kills. Why might that be?

Professor: If you ever see one used, you do not fight. You get away, and you tell a teacher.

Professor: Three sentences for next time, on why control is treated as seriously as harm.

Professor: One rule before all the others. Wands only. No contact.

Students: Wands only. No contact.

Professor: A duel begins with a bow. Then you turn side-on, knees bent, wand arm steady.

(Show the bow and the stance.)

Professor: I count to three. On three, you cast. Not before.

Professor: Pairs. Bow. One harmless spell each. Bow again.

(Count them in. Watch for anyone casting early.)

Professor: When I say Hold, everybody stops, with wands down. Let us try it. Begin. Hold!

Professor: Good. That word keeps you all safe.

Professor: How long does a shield last?

(Take answers.)

Professor: About as long as it takes to say the word. So when you cast it matters more than how hard.

Professor: Shield, then answer. The moment after a block is your opening.

Professor: Wands up. When I say now, you shield, and then you tell me the spell you would send back.

Professor: Now!

Students: Protego! (then each names a reply)

(Call it at random six or seven times. Leave long gaps to catch the early casters.)

Professor: Who went early? What happened to your shield? It had gone by the time the spell arrived.

Professor: When your wand leaves your hand, the duel is over. So today we take wands.

Professor: The charm is Expelliarmus. Aim for the wand hand.

Professor: And hold your own wand properly. A loose grip does half your opponent's work.

Professor: Pairs. One of you attempts to disarm. Your partner tells us whether it lands. Then swap.

(Remind them: write the attempt, not the result.)

Professor: If you lose your wand, you do not dive after it. The match is over. Stand still.

Professor: Winners, fetch the wand and hand it back, handle first. That is good manners, and it is also the rule.

Professor: Why is one spell so often not enough?

(Take answers.)

Professor: Because a good opponent blocks it. So we cast two. The first unsettles them, and the second finishes.

Professor: Lift, then push. Slow, then disarm.

Professor: Choose your pair, and tell me why they go in that order.

(Hear three or four. Question any pair that makes no sense.)

Professor: Now try it. Your partner writes the result.

(Watch for anyone attempting a chain of five.)

Professor: A clean pair beats a long chain that you fumble. Keep it simple.

Professor: Is giving up ever the right choice?

(Let them argue for a minute.)

Professor: In a duel, it often is. Knowing when you are beaten is part of the skill.

Professor: To yield, you lower your wand and say it clearly. I yield.

Students: I yield.

Professor: Short duels. In each one, somebody must yield. Decide between you who it will be. Bow when it is over.

(Let several pairs go.)

Professor: Now tell your partner one thing they did well.

Professor: Remember how that felt. A duellist who can lose well will be asked to duel again.

Professor: Stand beside your broom. Hold your wand hand out over it.

Professor: When I tell you, say one word. Up. Firmly.

Professor: Now.

Students: Up!

(Narrate each broom. Some jump. Some roll over. One does nothing at all.)

Professor: A broom knows when you are nervous. It will not come to somebody who does not mean it.

Professor: Take a breath. Not louder. Calmer. Again.

Students: Up!

Professor: Better. Write down what your broom did on your first try. You will laugh about it by Christmas.

Professor: Mount your brooms. Both hands on the handle. Knees in.

Professor: On my whistle, kick off gently. Rise a few feet and stop there.

(Blow the whistle.)

Professor: Now hold still. Five slow breaths. Hovering is harder than it looks.

(Narrate the wobbles. Somebody drifts sideways.)

Professor: Lean forward a little and come down. Both feet together.

Professor: Who bounced? Who landed on one foot? Tell me what went wrong.

Professor: Once more. Slow and steady this time.

Professor: Three markers on the pitch. Your job is to fly around all three and come back.

Professor: Look where you want to go. The broom follows your eyes.

Professor: Lean into the turn. Do not yank the handle, or the broom will buck.

Professor: One at a time. Tell us each turn as you make it. Off you go.

(Narrate each flight. Praise smooth turns out loud.)

Professor: Did you see the difference? One of you leaned, and one of you pulled.

Professor: Sketch the course tonight, and draw the line you actually flew.

Professor: See that line on the grass? Today nobody wins by being fast.

Professor: To slow down, ease your weight back. Start earlier than you think you need to.

Professor: Fly to the line and stop on it. Not past it. On it.

(Send them one at a time. Narrate each stop.)

Professor: The neatest stop wins. That one. Did you see how early they started to slow?

Professor: Speed is easy. Stopping is the skill.

Professor: Say it with me. Never fly faster than you can stop.

Students: Never fly faster than you can stop.

Professor: Who has watched a match? Who has no idea what was going on?

Professor: There are four balls. The Quaffle is red, and you score with it. The two Bludgers are black, and they are trying to knock you off. The Snitch is tiny, gold, and very hard to see.

Professor: There are seven players. Three Chasers score. One Keeper guards the hoops. Two Beaters hit the Bludgers away. One Seeker hunts the Snitch.

Professor: I call the play, and you shout the position and the points. The Quaffle goes through the hoop!

Students: Chaser! Ten points!

Professor: Somebody catches the Snitch!

Students: Seeker! A hundred and fifty!

(Run five or six plays. Include a Bludger and a save.)

Professor: Which position would your character play? Tell me why, in writing.

Professor: How old do you think this castle is?

(Take guesses.)

Professor: About a thousand years. It was built by four of the greatest witches and wizards of their age.

Professor: Each valued something different. One prized courage. One prized hard work and fairness. One prized learning. One prized ambition.

Professor: They could not agree on one kind of student, so each chose their own. That is why you sit at four tables.

Professor: I need four founders. Stand up, and tell us who you would invite to your school.

Students: (each founder speaks)

Professor: Which of them would your character have liked best? Write me a few lines.

Professor: Why do Muggles not know that we exist?

(Take answers.)

Professor: Because, many generations ago, we decided they should not.

Professor: For centuries wizards and Muggles lived side by side. It went badly. There was fear on their side and danger on ours.

Professor: So, in the late 1600s, the wizards of the world agreed on the Statute of Secrecy. We went into hiding and have stayed there.

Professor: It asks one thing of each of you. You do not let a Muggle see magic.

Professor: Was it the right choice? This side of the room says yes. That side says no. Two minutes.

(Run the debate. Keep it brief.)

Professor: List three everyday things that wizards do to stay hidden. That is your homework.

Professor: What do you know about goblins?

(Take answers. Expect the bank.)

Professor: You know them as bankers. They are also brilliant metalworkers, and they have gone to war with wizards more than once.

Professor: Why? Because wizards would not let them carry wands, and gave them no say in how they were governed.

Professor: One of those rebellions was fought close to here, around the village.

Professor: Split the room. This half speaks for the goblins. That half speaks for the wizards. Tell me what your side wanted.

(Let each side make two or three points.)

Professor: Notice that both sides thought they were right. History usually has more than one side.

Professor: Write down one thing each side wanted.

Professor: What did Muggles once do to people they believed were witches?

(Take answers.)

Professor: They burned them. And yet they very seldom caught a real one.

Professor: A real witch had a simple charm that froze the flames. She would stand in the fire, feel a pleasant tickle, and pretend to scream.

Professor: One witch enjoyed it so much that she let herself be caught dozens of times, in different disguises.

Professor: Not everybody was so lucky. That fear is part of why we later chose to hide.

Professor: You live in a Muggle village in those days. How do you keep your magic secret? Tell me.

(Take four or five answers.)

Professor: For homework, a short diary entry from a witch hiding in a Muggle town.

Professor: Who makes the laws that you live under?

(Take answers.)

Professor: The Ministry of Magic. It has not always existed.

Professor: Before it, there was a body called the Wizards' Council. It was older and smaller, and it struggled once we went into hiding.

Professor: In the early 1700s it was replaced by the Ministry, with a Minister at its head and departments beneath.

Professor: Its first duty then is its first duty now. It keeps magic hidden from the Muggles.

Professor: If you sat on the Council, what law would you pass? One each.

(Hear several. Hold a quick vote on the best.)

Professor: Name one Ministry department and what it does. Bring it next time.