ravenclaw head of house
It takes a special type of person to have the hat yell "RAVENCLAW" at the top of its metaphoric lungs but it takes an even more special person to effectively and stupendously take charge of these special people. For years upon years, Professor Hirsch has proven himself a real gem to those in blue. Always willing to listen, keen to see the little seeds of interest blossom into full blown ideas and research, forever constantly on his toes but maintaining a perpetually cool demeanour--the list could go on for centuries but it'd be easier just letting you read the interview I was lucky enough to get the chance to conduct again:
It’s real neat I get to interview you a second time Professor Hirsch. Looks like I should start rallying for next year’s too to make sure we keep the trend alive but for now let’s get into those questions. With the strange possessions of the previous term, did you start this term on high alert thinking things will naturally keep getting worse?
I like it. It's almost becoming a nice little tradition, Jessa.
Oh yeah, absolutely. But I think, considering the fact that this is Hogwarts, this is something I'd have done even if there weren't any possessions last term. The possessions definitely made that feeling worse, especially given that it wasn't resolved entirely last term.
There was a very dangerous book missing from the library and none of the Professors seemed all too concerned. As a Head of House, was there ever a moment where you wondered if it could’ve been one of your own claws that just got a bit too curious?
Hmm. I.... am not going to lie, I almost considered this but a part of me also knew that you guys wouldn’t be curious enough to want to know how to make Horcruxes. Call it stupid or naïve but that was my take on it.
Ravenclaws haven’t been on the winning side of the points hourglasses for a while now. While we don’t really care, how do you feel about?
To be honest, I don’t care either. They’re only points and while it helps with the disciplining of students, I think there are more important things to gain during your time at the school than points.
Although, that's not a sign to suddenly start gaining more detentions. I encourage you to do your best but points aren't something to beat yourself up about.
I think I can ask this on behalf of everyone in the house. WHY Erik? What was the appeal? Merlin’s beard, Professor you should see him around the common room, he’s an absolute nightmare—dead useful for enforcing the rules so I don’t have to and stuff and I think I’m digressing but…..yeah. What was the thinking there?
You really hate him that much?
I thought it would be an interesting partnership between the two of you and would provide you with a learning curve. As much as you don’t like him, there’s a lot you two can teach and learn from each other.
I... was also hoping the two of you would gain an understanding for each other at the end of it all but, given what you just told me, that might be pushing it.
What’s the one thing you see your Ravenclaws doing that makes you proud to be their Head of House?
This is a tough question, Jessa.
There’s a lot but something that sticks out the most to me is the growth. I guess I like seeing students grow and learn and try to achieve their goals, whether it’s big or small. And Ravenclaw house is full of all kinds of curious students so the goals are…. something else. It makes the role very fulfilling.
It’s real neat I get to interview you a second time Professor Hirsch. Looks like I should start rallying for next year’s too to make sure we keep the trend alive but for now let’s get into those questions. With the strange possessions of the previous term, did you start this term on high alert thinking things will naturally keep getting worse?
I like it. It's almost becoming a nice little tradition, Jessa.
Oh yeah, absolutely. But I think, considering the fact that this is Hogwarts, this is something I'd have done even if there weren't any possessions last term. The possessions definitely made that feeling worse, especially given that it wasn't resolved entirely last term.
There was a very dangerous book missing from the library and none of the Professors seemed all too concerned. As a Head of House, was there ever a moment where you wondered if it could’ve been one of your own claws that just got a bit too curious?
Hmm. I.... am not going to lie, I almost considered this but a part of me also knew that you guys wouldn’t be curious enough to want to know how to make Horcruxes. Call it stupid or naïve but that was my take on it.
Ravenclaws haven’t been on the winning side of the points hourglasses for a while now. While we don’t really care, how do you feel about?
To be honest, I don’t care either. They’re only points and while it helps with the disciplining of students, I think there are more important things to gain during your time at the school than points.
Although, that's not a sign to suddenly start gaining more detentions. I encourage you to do your best but points aren't something to beat yourself up about.
I think I can ask this on behalf of everyone in the house. WHY Erik? What was the appeal? Merlin’s beard, Professor you should see him around the common room, he’s an absolute nightmare—dead useful for enforcing the rules so I don’t have to and stuff and I think I’m digressing but…..yeah. What was the thinking there?
You really hate him that much?
I thought it would be an interesting partnership between the two of you and would provide you with a learning curve. As much as you don’t like him, there’s a lot you two can teach and learn from each other.
I... was also hoping the two of you would gain an understanding for each other at the end of it all but, given what you just told me, that might be pushing it.
What’s the one thing you see your Ravenclaws doing that makes you proud to be their Head of House?
This is a tough question, Jessa.
There’s a lot but something that sticks out the most to me is the growth. I guess I like seeing students grow and learn and try to achieve their goals, whether it’s big or small. And Ravenclaw house is full of all kinds of curious students so the goals are…. something else. It makes the role very fulfilling.
ravenclaw prefects
Stepping into the role of female prefect this term for Ravenclaw was fifth year Jessa Cambridge. Anyone who knows Jessa can tell you without a doubt that she belongs in the house that champions those with a ‘ready mind’ as she is always with some sort of experiment or another up her sleeve and absolutely NOTHING is off limits. One Gryffindor classmate of hers, who wished to remain anonymous else else they would break my nose, described her as having a 'captivating intellect and an insufferably persistent yet alluring presence'. So while Jessa was busy trying to figure out what made everyone and everything else around her tick, she took enough time out of her schedule of reanimating animal corpses to answer us a few questions about how her first term as a prefect for her house went.
WOW! Your first term as prefect! How did you feel when you were first offered the badge?
Honestly? Anxious. It’s a whole lot of responsibility and there’s suddenly all these…..expectations, y’know? Things you gotta be doing now that you didn’t have to worry about just months before. Ducking out of stuff gets you more notice. Locking myself wasn’t as much of an option anymore. I knew it’d be….an adjustment which made it kinda hard to be “excited”.
Kitty Valentine left a very prominent mark during her time serving Ravenclaw as prefect, what lessons did you take from her example that you hope to apply to your own leadership standards?
I mean this in the least disrespectful way possible; I don’t want to be anything like Kitty Valentine. She had dangerous ideas and didn’t know when it was better to keep them to herself. I didn’t spend much time around her while she was prefect so I’m not sure what she was like in that capacity. Consequently, there wasn’t much I could learn—but I feel I learned a fair bit from Rooney and while I’ll never be like him, I’m hoping I did a mostly decent job.
You and Professor Noble had a bit of a, er, rough term together. With, you know, your lab being confiscated and everything. What happened there exactly?
I’m still trying to figure out what happened there myself. He found out I had a lab and that set him off for whatever reason. Told me I had to tear it down. For obvious reasons, I didn’t. I put a lot of time and hard work into the experiments up in my lab. There are files that can’t be replaced and subjects I’ve taken very good care of. It was mine and I had permission to have it. Didn’t stop him, though. He just busted in and destroyed everything. There are very few things more traumatizing than seeing over a year’s worth of work being torn down. Thankfully, Professor Hirsch took care of things. He’s the best.
What is your favorite spell and why?
That’s easy, the animation charm. There’s a lot you can do with a well-placed animation charm and when you start compounding spells, adding wards, modifying with potions and a sprinkle of….other things, you’d be amazed at what you can come up with. My birds were my first real attempt at re-animation using the charm and even with the…um…small set back, I still consider them a huge success. I can’t wait to see the upper limits of the spell and the full potential it can bring out when coupled with other forms of magic. It’s all fascinating, really.
Which of Ravenclaw's house traits do you feel you best represent?
Probably…..my appreciation for knowledge and wit. There aren’t many things I don’t want to take a part and understand. And intellectual stimulation is my favourite thing in other people. Sharp minds keep my attention for hours.
Let's say you could decide what form your animagus would take, what creature would you want to be able to turn into and why?
I don’t think I’ve ever really given it any thought before. Not much interest in becoming one of those but I guess off the top of my head, I’d pick an eagle, like my house animal—but not because it’s from my house. I like how free they are.
We almost never see you without a book. Which book could you read over and over again but never tire of?
While I don’t have a specific book, I do have a specific genre I could never tire of. Non-fiction aside, I really love a good horror book. It’s interesting to see what other people consider terrifying and how much of that I agree with myself.
What are your favorite and least favorite memories from this term?
Least favourite moment would have to be getting my lab taken away for sure. Favourite’s a little harder but I’d have to say watching Galileo and Apollo grow from decomposing birds to the vibrant and feathered babies I knew. It was nice seeing the progress, recording the progress—the level of autonomy they slowly gained.
You were one of the students who fell under the Dark spell in Dufftown, chanting and all that. Methodology aside....Do you agree with the message that the Williams siblings were trying to convey?
Absolutely not. I don’t agree with a single thing they were trying to believe. Much like Kitty, I think they also have very dangerous ideas. The statute was put in place for a reason, maybe they should sit through some of Professor Marchand’s lessons to learn a thing or two about those reasons.
What are three things you cannot live without?
Hmm…my wand—for now, books and….some sort of experiment to conduct.
WOW! Your first term as prefect! How did you feel when you were first offered the badge?
Honestly? Anxious. It’s a whole lot of responsibility and there’s suddenly all these…..expectations, y’know? Things you gotta be doing now that you didn’t have to worry about just months before. Ducking out of stuff gets you more notice. Locking myself wasn’t as much of an option anymore. I knew it’d be….an adjustment which made it kinda hard to be “excited”.
Kitty Valentine left a very prominent mark during her time serving Ravenclaw as prefect, what lessons did you take from her example that you hope to apply to your own leadership standards?
I mean this in the least disrespectful way possible; I don’t want to be anything like Kitty Valentine. She had dangerous ideas and didn’t know when it was better to keep them to herself. I didn’t spend much time around her while she was prefect so I’m not sure what she was like in that capacity. Consequently, there wasn’t much I could learn—but I feel I learned a fair bit from Rooney and while I’ll never be like him, I’m hoping I did a mostly decent job.
You and Professor Noble had a bit of a, er, rough term together. With, you know, your lab being confiscated and everything. What happened there exactly?
I’m still trying to figure out what happened there myself. He found out I had a lab and that set him off for whatever reason. Told me I had to tear it down. For obvious reasons, I didn’t. I put a lot of time and hard work into the experiments up in my lab. There are files that can’t be replaced and subjects I’ve taken very good care of. It was mine and I had permission to have it. Didn’t stop him, though. He just busted in and destroyed everything. There are very few things more traumatizing than seeing over a year’s worth of work being torn down. Thankfully, Professor Hirsch took care of things. He’s the best.
What is your favorite spell and why?
That’s easy, the animation charm. There’s a lot you can do with a well-placed animation charm and when you start compounding spells, adding wards, modifying with potions and a sprinkle of….other things, you’d be amazed at what you can come up with. My birds were my first real attempt at re-animation using the charm and even with the…um…small set back, I still consider them a huge success. I can’t wait to see the upper limits of the spell and the full potential it can bring out when coupled with other forms of magic. It’s all fascinating, really.
Which of Ravenclaw's house traits do you feel you best represent?
Probably…..my appreciation for knowledge and wit. There aren’t many things I don’t want to take a part and understand. And intellectual stimulation is my favourite thing in other people. Sharp minds keep my attention for hours.
Let's say you could decide what form your animagus would take, what creature would you want to be able to turn into and why?
I don’t think I’ve ever really given it any thought before. Not much interest in becoming one of those but I guess off the top of my head, I’d pick an eagle, like my house animal—but not because it’s from my house. I like how free they are.
We almost never see you without a book. Which book could you read over and over again but never tire of?
While I don’t have a specific book, I do have a specific genre I could never tire of. Non-fiction aside, I really love a good horror book. It’s interesting to see what other people consider terrifying and how much of that I agree with myself.
What are your favorite and least favorite memories from this term?
Least favourite moment would have to be getting my lab taken away for sure. Favourite’s a little harder but I’d have to say watching Galileo and Apollo grow from decomposing birds to the vibrant and feathered babies I knew. It was nice seeing the progress, recording the progress—the level of autonomy they slowly gained.
You were one of the students who fell under the Dark spell in Dufftown, chanting and all that. Methodology aside....Do you agree with the message that the Williams siblings were trying to convey?
Absolutely not. I don’t agree with a single thing they were trying to believe. Much like Kitty, I think they also have very dangerous ideas. The statute was put in place for a reason, maybe they should sit through some of Professor Marchand’s lessons to learn a thing or two about those reasons.
What are three things you cannot live without?
Hmm…my wand—for now, books and….some sort of experiment to conduct.
[ this term the male prefect position was filled by a NPC character by the name of Erik Richard Cassian Jessup III ]