ANCR-601 Lessons

The classroom is littered with birds of all different shapes and sizes this afternoon. A cruel, steel-beaked eagle owl perches next to a sleepy tawny, who is in turn next to a condor, and more besides. They all bear letters either in their talons, their mouths, or affixed in some other way. The students observe them with mild curiosity, and one student jokingly -- but in a low voice -- offers to take bets on whether the letters are more likely to contain fan mail or hate mail for the Slytherin Deputy Headmistress.

As the large grandfather clock tolls the hour, Professor Wessex enters and frowns upon seeing the birds. In a series of swift wand movements, she summons the letters to her and shoos the birds off down the hallway. As usual, she spares a brief glance at the notes her enchanted quill has left for her and directs a pointedly unimpressed look at the would-be bookie. Their cheeks color briefly, but fortunately, Professor Wessex starts the lesson without further incident.

Introduction
Welcome, class. You have survived another year. However, let us hope that survival is not your only accomplishment this term. You did not make it this far in my class to simply survive, but to thrive! In our last class of Year Six, we will be covering a mix of related topics, starting with a wrap-up of challenges that researchers face when dealing with re-discovered ancient magic -- with emphasis on Rongorongo and Phoenician as examples -- as well as general trends in the magianthropological world at the moment, with specific attention paid to rune rediscovery. Finally, we will end the class and the term with a lecture regarding your future prospects.

Obstacles to Rediscovery Research
As we discussed last class, there are many reasons that progress on uncovering magical secrets of and details about Phoenician is a slow process. Of course, the general scientific process is a part of it, but there are many obstacles specific to studying both ancient magic and reactivated and unknown script-based magic.

Firstly, there are enormous issues with rampant, willy-nilly reactivation. If we reactivate an inscription not originally meant to be magical, it would be roughly the same as throwing things blindly into a simmering cauldron. The symbols there might accidentally interact in ways we did not predict, due to the fact that we cannot be sure we are aware of all possible magic meanings and powers of each symbol (nor how they might interact with others). We would, essentially, be smearing magical juice on some runes and hoping they don’t explode. Pair this with the fact that all Phoenician known inscriptions are non-magical because of deterioration of the potion, and it can be a bit of a dragon’s nest through which we very carefully and slowly step.

By a similar token, non-original glyphs that we create ourselves, then activate with the potion are not ideal. While this could potentially avoid or slightly mitigate the danger described above (as we could control which runes are grouped with each other and how many), it can lead to incorrect and misleading results. We may be doing something different and we do not have the same cultural background, so we may be inherently creating bias with using our own inscriptions and then studying them.

Rediscovering Ancient Runes: Trends
In recent years, the topic of rediscovery of ancient magic -- specifically of script-based magic -- has come to the forefront of many scholars’ minds. There have always been fringe groups that insist that a commonly-held mundane inscription or artefact is hiding a wealth of magic ability or knowledge just under the surface. However, until recently, they have seemed no more reputable than the various authors of articles in the Quibbler. In fact, a fair few actually have published their findings in the Quibbler or similar publications.

However, there has been a prolific rise in these theories due to reactivating Egyptian hieroglyphics through the rediscovery of the Awakening Spell, the native attempts of reinvigorating Rongorongo, and the discovery that Phoenician had been magical after all despite prevailing magical minds thinking otherwise. With these new developments cropping up all over, many suggest that the Anglo-Saxon Futhork, Etruscan, or Phags-pa may be the next new script to have its magical secrets uncovered. Of course, that doesn’t automatically mean every nutter with a theory is onto something, but it has certainly opened up a lot of possibilities for the magiarchaeological and magianthropological communities.

To a lesser extent, this line of thinking has also bled over slightly into the field of spell creation and magical experimentation, along with other factors. Ultimately, it has led to a resurgence in spell creation (or a rise in the use of ancient or medieval spells) in non-Latin languages, as well as a renewed interest in multicultural varieties of similar potions, with a particular emphasis on ancient practices. It’s true what they say, ‘what is old will be made new again.’

Investing in Your Future
Now, finally we come to our discussion of your future pursuits: what you will be doing after you leave Hogwarts. In short, if you don’t have prospects, find some now. Discoveries do not simply wait to be tripped over. You must go out and pursue them. If you have any hope of becoming a prominent name in magianthropological circles, you must find an area, or a few areas, of study that interest you and pursue them. If you have been too busy fawning over your partner in Potions class or your house’s Quidditch heartthrob to give serious thought to your future, I have good news. There is still time to get your head out of the clouds. For the remainder of today’s lesson, I will give a brief overview of a number of ancient runes-related opportunities this summer. Some of them would suit a person who gravitates more towards curse-breaking, while others will be an excellent fit for those that wish to preserve their limbs and stay safe in offices and libraries. Of course, there are a wealth of opportunities in between as well.

However, keep in mind, that should you choose to embark upon an internship this summer, this is not a simple after school project, or anything like the assignments you have done in class. These positions are available to you in no small part due to connections I have made in various magianthropological communities. Merely by attending Hogwarts and my class, you are receiving my recommendation. Your application will still be considered amongst many others, however you may have a leg up on the competition. Remember that you are representing not only your school, but more importantly, me. Should you mess up, you will not be given this opportunity again. If I hear from your project leaders that you are anything less than model citizens -- punctual, devoted, observant, and dedicated -- I will recommend your swift removal from the project. Ancient magic is nothing to muck about with, nor is my academic reputation worth a stain because of your folly.

The professor gestures to a board that appears out of thin air, though aided by an incantation and rap of a wand.

In the last section of class, I will list and explain all internships available to you via your connections here at Hogwarts. This list will remain up on this board until summer break officially begins and the Fifth and Seventh Years have completed their exams, as many Seventh Years and a handful of Fifth Years will also be applying for these positions. You may come back to verify facts at any time and the board will be updated in the event that an internship be completely full and no longer be taking applicants.

Openings for Magiarchaeology Internships
Strictly magiarchaeological sites are a bit of a rarity, as most often magiarchaeologists are brought on-site to be part of a team along with curse-breakers and other professions. Equally common are much smaller projects that involve only one or two persons working on a problem. As neither of these are ideal for internship purposes, the scope of the opportunities offered is slightly limited to high-need areas and unique circumstances, which correspond mostly with Proto-Canaanite and Phoenician at the moment.

Project Leader: Venita Wessex
Number of interns: Two (2)
This project will attempt to discern the magical uses of the three glyphs that were added to Phoenician following its transition from Proto-Canaanite. This study will be based on information received from earlier research by Venita Wessex and others in the field. Students will be required to magically activate the new runes on their own and in combinations and record their effects. Additionally, interns will study artefacts and inscriptions that contain these symbols. By the end of the study, interns will present a logically and historically sound hypothesis based on their detailed findings.

Project Leaders: Venita Wessex and Raheeq Ghamid
Number of interns: Three to four (3-4)
Interns will accompany project leaders to the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Al-Mina. An ongoing excavation has been hidden there for just over 100 years. However, due to the intense concentration, variety, and number of magical artefacts, clearing the area has been slow. Progress has been made, but due to recent discoveries surrounding Phoenician, and the high number of Phoenician artefacts present in this area, an expert has been brought in to assist with identifying, preserving, and cataloguing these artefacts to speed up the process. Interns will be required to study, record, and catalogue the various finds there so they can be sent to the appropriate Ministry, museum, or scholar.

Openings for Magianthropology Internships
This area of study, as I have mentioned, is a bit of a cross between history and archaeology. In this internship, you will need to “dig through” historical accounts to find the truth of things and study cultural phenomena, as well as what those phenomena can tell us about the people.

Project Leader: Abe no Wado
Number of interns: Two to three (2 - 3)
Interns in this group will be participating in an in-depth study of the koto-kanji of Japan. Research opportunities range from beginning a catalogue of all known koto-kanji, to researching and reporting on the magical and cultural practices of the Japanese to theorize as to their “lack” of activation with comparison to other scripts.

Openings for Magical History Internships
These opportunities range the most widely, and may overlap with areas covered in your History of Magic classes.

Project Leader: Imogen Lunet
Number of interns: Two (2)
One of the most passionate researchers (though her methods are often unusual) on the topic of Celtic and druidic history, Imogen Lunet is once again assembling a research team to attempt to piece together the mysterious groups’ histories. Her study will be mostly motivated by a new cache of magical artefacts found just of the coast of Douarnenez, France and suspected to have been used by the druids themselves. However, interns will also need to be familiar (or familiarize themselves) with various historical accounts and prevalent theories. Research will proceed throughout the summer, with permission to view the magiarchaeological finds intermittently, and submit your full report at the end of the program.

Project Leader: Ekaterina Pozdniakova
Number of interns: Two (2)
In this study, interns will examine myths, first-hand accounts, and found artefacts (magical, script-based, and otherwise) in the hopes of identifing historical practices and events of Rapa Nui society, if not a more solid timeline for the events there. At the end of the internship, students will provide their theories while supporting them with their research.

Openings for Curse-Breaking Internships
These are ridiculously uncommon as they are incredibly dangerous and I have no idea what Mister Baldric is thinking of. He’s absolutely raving if he wants to take on untrained students and bring them anywhere near an uncleared ancient tomb. However, he’s been cleared by both the Ministry’s Department of Education and Research as well as Gringotts’ Curse-Breaking Department and is apparently mad enough to try, so the application is available for those interested.

Project leader: Arkaeus Baldric
Number of Interns: Two to four (2 - 4)
Owing to his recent rise in popularity among magianthropological circles, Arkaeus Baldric has found himself with significantly less time for leisure pursuits. He has always wanted to add more symbols to the Magical Addendum he and his brother have authored, but frequent trips to hospitals have delayed him. However, he would like to note here that he always comes back in one piece.

He is advertising for volunteers to help him study artefacts with non-deactivated hieroglyphs in order to discover potential new magical meanings for them. He notes here that these artefacts would largely be studied outside of the tombs, or in areas that are already cleared and safe. There will also be the opportunity to study curse-breaker reports and cross-reference them to find similarities in reports and potentially discover new meanings that way. Students will be required to record their findings throughout the process and report on them at the end of the internship.

Openings for Magilinguist Internships
Most often, magilinguistic projects focus on -- as would be expected -- languages of magical societies in general, but there is also a large sub-section devoted solely to decoding completely magical correspondence (notes about ancient potions, spells, rituals, and occasionally, script-based magic itself), rather than general language functions.

Project leader: Mathilda Stevens
Number of interns: Two (2)
With her research expedition winding down, Mathilda Stevens is now in the process of studying the finds she helped uncover. Details of the expedition are still on a need-to-know basis, however, the interns for this project will be studying the still mysterious rune combinations that are touched on in Ancient Runes curricula all over the world, including “alu,” “auja,” “lathu,” “laukar,” and “erilaz.” Interns will be able to study archaeological finds up close while also availing themselves of pre-existing reports, hypotheses, and documents on these magic words.

Project leader: Ulf Hellgren
Number of interns: Two (2)
Ulf Hellgren’s first “official” study focuses on the meaning of the spell inscribed on tablet C and its linguistic meaning, as he is not entirely satisfied with the current hypothesis and he believes that he can uncover the spell’s use and function. Due to his lack of experience or expertise in any academic area of this nature, any applications will will need to rely on your ability more than his guidance and knowledge.

Closing
With that, I will close the lesson for today. I should expect you already have an idea as to which of these opportunities suits your strengths and interests you, but you have time before deadlines kick in. For now, your more immediate task is the final for this year. It will cover all the material and concepts addressed in this term of Ancient Runes, and while it will not be nearly as vigorous as your O.W.L.s of last year, I should hope you’ve been studying.

Should you have questions about any of these internships, I will be in the castle until the close of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s with a fair amount of down time, and you may seek me out to clear up your doubts. Until next year.

Original lesson written by Professor Venita Wessex
Image credits here and here