Advanced Summoning || Lesson Two

A deafening crack came from the Professor’s fist as he whacked it against the blackboard. His face was red, sweating and tired, and his dark chocolate hair stuck to his face. However, it was clipped...and he was shaven clean? “Now, we have much to cover today. Since last time was just an introduction with little specifics, today we will begin the complexities of it all.” For once, Anatole sat down in his chair, exhausted. With a lazy wave of his wand, the basket of devices floated toward the students and just levitated there. In the air, doing absolutely nothing. “Yes, for once, I’m implying you’re going to take notes. ‘Oh, but Apple Bowl, why do we have to take notes in this class? It means nothing!’” The teacher raised his voice, mimicking a student once more. “My retaliation is this: yes, this class does mean a lot; it is still a class that you’re still trapped in.”

“But we’re not actually trap--”

The door slammed right as the student called out that comment. “Oopsies. Now you are. Hush.” Some of the students chuckled as the Professor rose to his feet, sighing and beginning to speak. “Yes, I understand. Irony is hilarious.” He whipped out his wand from the sweaty sleeve of his cloak. “Keep in mind my example last time of Sergei and my tea. In case you ask, it was divine.” He waved his wand and the chalk scribbled down as he spoke. “His formula is rather specific, but the one I’m thinking we learn today is more broad and generalized.” Anatole took a sip of tea, finishing it in a gulp. “Well, there are just more...options for this circumstance...”

Anatole tossed his teacup towards the back of the room, the porcelain (only nice thing in the room) hitting the back stone wall and shattering behind a student’s head. A small scream erupted from the back. Immediately, the Professor assumed an innocent tone. “Well, you thought I was actually going to reveal who we are dealing with today already, huh?” Anatole smirked, just like he used to do. “I like the suspense.” He sat atop his desk, crossing his ankles. The little light emphasized the stains he had on his cloak, the one he refused to take off. Underneath, he wore an equally stained rust-colored tunic. “For a bit of time, we will be discussing what makes Advanced Summoning work.” Anatole whipped out his own device. “It’s simple.” He threw his phone on the floor, the device shattering into five different pieces. When he looked at the student’s reactions, they were all confused and discontent. Their eyes were wider than the emojis he had addressed last time. Why had their instructor just ruined his device? “Like that. Now, you can see the different parts. However, I advise you don’t do this.”

The Professor gritted his teeth, looking at the phone on the floor. Clearly, he wasn’t happy about something, even though the students could easily see he didn’t care about the device. “Magic and...technology have never worked together in harmony for a while. It was either one or the other, hence why this class is underfunded. Use your logic for that end of it. ” Anatole brushed his hair to the side, a somber face coming upon him. Another phone had suddenly appeared in his right hand. “However, in the past twenty years I---well, the magical world has attempted to bridge the gap. It’s...well, a little challenging to explain how. I’ll just say it involves many major malfunctions with magic. Bonus points to everyone who enjoyed my alliteration.”

A few Ravenclaw grinned at the Professor, liking the speech pattern. On the other side of the room, a Gryffindor raised his hand. “Apple Bowl, you haven’t taught us anything so far toda--”


“HUSH! Why must I tell you this all the time?” Anatole made sure the door was slammed. “Whatever. These devices don’t have a single lick of magic in them. Use your logic for that end as well.” He lied down on the desk, staring at the ceiling, dripping with a new syrup from before. A drop plonked down right onto Anatole’s nose.

God, it itched. The tip of his nose blushed red, as he scratched it, cringing from the pain. It spread a little bit over his full nose. “Sir…? D-Do you need some help,” a shy Hufflepuff inquired.

Anatole clenched his eyes shut, trying to reach for his wand over on the chalkboard. Maybe he could text something to summon it to him, but he hadn’t even figured that out yet. Maybe he could say a word, but at the moment, his miniscule mind was failing him.

So he just lied there, tired and weak. The students’ anxious eyes just watched him, some chuckling and leaning into each other. “Now...if I keep my eyes closed,” Anatole muttered. He clutched his working phone in his hand, hoping the pain would stop. The class completely silent, their focus split between the broken teacup, the shattered first phone, and their somewhat emotional Professor. All was still.

Well, one more thing focused all their concentration upon it: the sudden entrance of Matilda Barrows. “HE FEELS JUST LIKE YOU!” The Divination Professor burst out into exuberant song, not even minding the condition of the Advanced Summoning Professor. She had thrown open the previously slammed door. “BUT HE’LL NEVER STAY! THEY NEVER DO!”

Anatole’s eyes broke open, and instantly, he regretted saying those words (and leaving his phone on voice to text, his thumb later slipping and sending the message). By accidentally quoting part of Halsey’s 2017 song, “Eyes Closed”, he had summoned Matilda. The two of them had never been close, especially since he didn’t have her his first year. Her summoning technique was much more particular than Sergei’s but less odd in the request itself. As she kept singing, Anatole attempted to scream over her. “As you may have noticed, Matilda is summoned by song lyrics from three specific artists: Halsey, Marina and the Diamonds, or Lana Del Rey.” All the students raised their eyebrows in confusion. Clearly, they didn’t know who these singers even were. They were popular before the kids were even born. “Don’t ask.”

Matilda kept crooning, helping Anatole off of the desk. The song grew to the bridge, a slow part. She took him by the hand, spinning him before they tangoed through the aisles of desks. “Crap, forgot a lyric…” She muttered, ceasing the tango as she slowly disappeared, fading out of the scene, atom by atom.

The children broke out in a commutative giggle as Anatole stood there, holding nothing but air in his arms. “Well, that was not what I was expecting, but it works.” He sighed. “Song lyrics are the quickest way to summon Matilda, but obscure drag race references work as well. Both ways require you to be cultured, rather than Sergei’s which is just a simple rule.” He took a deep breath. “Watch...and learn.” He would regret typing this. Anchovy read out what he was typing, watching it project onto the board. “Sashay...away.”

Matilda was back, this time with sparkling eyes and a grin as wide as a canyon. She didn’t sashay away...yet.“You know me so well!”

“That’s...my job,” the Professor remarked, aware she wouldn’t remember much after she disappeared again. He knew he had to distract her some way to explain to the students. “Alright.” Anatole clasped his hands together, trying to think. There must be some way he could keep Matilda’s attention span long enough, or even, he could try something dangerous...having a logical conversation. “Well, Matilda…” His mind was already failing. He could always bring up another song lyric, but then she would be here for roughly three minutes, destined to finish singing. “How are you today?”

“Just fine, you? I heard the most intense gossip today at the Professors table…”

Anatole gulped, looking over at her brown locks flowing past her shoulders. He needed to get out of this situation, but didn’t know how to type a song lyric fast enough... He didn’t want Matilda revealing confidential information, especially in front of the students. Sure, yes Anatole was okay with it being in private, in fact, he would really like that. “Actually, Matilda, do you mind...not sharing it? Right now, at least? After all, it is our rules. Well, um, my rules, but--”

Matilda’s eyes lit up, and she pushed herself onto the desk. “Our dreams...we’re blind. Blowing things up with Homemade Dynamite.” She smirked at Anatole, the older woman helping the young man onto the desk beside her as she sang the Lorde song.

The Professor of Advanced Summoning just sighed, sitting there. “Trust me, we’ll discuss this next week. The real nitty-gritty and all. As of now, just take a few moments to write down some questions you have for me for next time.”

Anchovy was still frustrated, grumbling under his breath as she continued to sing Post Malone’s part of the remix. “So pour up, pour up another one. I know, I know we onto somethin’...” Matilda was always a little...challenging. Though he loved dancing with her, and yes, Anatole did admire her taste in music, sometimes summoning her was a bit too annoying to stand.

The door didn’t open, and for a glimpse of a second, Anatole swore he saw a figure flicker, in and out, in and out. All the atoms jumbled for a hesitant moment into a human silhouette, male and familiar. It was like a glitch, pulsing and shifting quickly. The brown and grey haired, narrow-jawlined malfunction seemed to be...laughing at the tune Matilda was singing. Maybe he knew it as he flickered like a light, all at once dematerializing and disappearing.

Matilda instantly stopped singing, almost as concerned as the other Professor was. Because she grew uninterested with the blank silence, she slowly faded away (Apple Bowl not noticing), off the desk. Everyone in the room knew that figure, and the students were like Anatole: mouths and eyes gaping in shock. What had...just happened?

The only noise in the room was the liquid dripping from the ceiling as the Professor pondered. What was the technique he used again? He took a deep breath, eyeing the students with narrow eyes. “Once again, no bell.” He flicked his arm, this time a watch on it. “Get out. Now.”

After the students left, the last thing Anatole did was flip the desk in rage.



[Once again, doing my homework is not necessary and will not give you anything but satisfaction from me. Owl it if you would like, and read the quote from Lesson One.]

One. Name me three songs that would work to summon Matilda .
Two. What differs the methods for summoning Sergei from the methods for summoning Matilda?
Three. Who do you think the glitching one is (you are exempt from this question if I’ve already told you)?
Four. Write me down your questions about this class or myself in general. I will answer them in the next lesson.