Astronomy 101 — Assignment: Lesson 1


ASTR-101 Assignment: Lesson 1

       I spent the weekend at Hogwarts Library researching and doing my homework (it’s a pity the library closes at 8 p.m.).  One of the topics I researched on was Astronomy: a subject I know very little about.  That night when we had our lesson under the moonlight at the Astronomy Tower, I learnt that Magical Astronomy is the study of the universe and how the happenings in outer space magically affect and directly influence the happenings and the people on Earth.  When I glanced up at the moon that night, it had me thinking about how, in Transfiguration class, we learnt that the full moon had an impact on Werewolf transformations.

       So I came across a few books in the library that talked about ‘Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban’.  There was a pivotal incident that well-known Harry Potter was involved in on a night where a full moon appeared.  The moon had caused his teacher, Professor Lupin, to turn into a werewolf as he had not taken his Wolfsbane Potion that night.  The moon played a vital role in directly effecting Professor Lupin, to which Professor Lupin had no control over and was at the mercy of the moon’s hands.  What was an affectionate and prudent person just moments before became an aggressive and highly dangerous monster since Werewolves do not keep their human minds and will attack any humans in sight.  Several sources cited that Harry Potter’s godfather, Sirius Black (i.e. the “Prisoner of Azkaban”), then willingly transfigured into his Animagus form—a black dog—in an effort to fight off the werewolf and protect Harry Potter and friends.

       From this unfortunate and untimely event that occurred due to the effects of Astronomy, we can easily see just how much of an impact and control the outer space has over us mere beings on planet Earth.