First Divination Class
The day was finally here. Bertie, dressed in his sharp new professorial robes (black, which was really a very long and convoluted story involving yellow robes that had been exchanged as a token of appreciation for Jeeves who had pulled him out of a scrape involving Sugar Kane, a dog belonging to the brunet Antichrist, a semi-hysterical house elf, and a tin of sardines) paced around his classroom. His classroom. Who ever would have thought that Bertram Wilberforce Wooster would ever be allowed encouraged to become a protector and teacher of children? Many of whom, now that he came to think on it, were older than he was. Still, that could be better. It would be like one of those casual lectures down the Drones where a speaker would come in once a month to tell them all about the latest trends in hats or recent developments in international cricket.
"Are we ready, Jeeves?"
"I think so, yes, sir," Jeeves replied, setting down the last of the thin china cup-and-saucers down in its place at the last small table. He looked around the room with a modicum of pride. The effluvia of previous Divination teachers - draperies, incense, star charts, and cat hair - had all been cleared away, the windows opened, and the classroom painted a faint, attractive blue, with cherry wood bookcases filled with those texts on Divination Jeeves had found particularly helpful, and an assortment of highly polished crystal balls and antique tarot decks on display. Each of the tables had two chairs pulled up, and each place had a set of beautifully carved tile letters and an empty cup and saucer.
Jeeves crossed over to where his master stood fidgeting at the lectern, and, noting that Bertie's necktie was ever so slightly askew, corrected it. "You are not at all apprehensive, sir, I hope?"
"Apprehensive? Dash, it, Jeeves, why should I be?" But Bertie visibly relaxed under Jeeves' ministering touch.
"It's going to be as easy as falling off a l," he added, considerably more calmly. "I just stand here what-hoing them as they come in, give them a bit of the 'This is Div' wheeze, set them to their assignment and drift around looking mysterious. Piece of jam pastry, what?"
Bertie looked around the classroom again, a puzzled frown on his expressive face. "I say, do you think this is all a bit... queer? I mean to say, you can't really tell the future this way, can you? Not unless you're Ezekiel or Isaiah or one of those chaps. So why did the school want us to tell them this rot? Is it one of those philosophies that isn't dreamt about?"
Jeeves had been giving this question a good deal of thought. A great many things seemed possible here at Hogwarts that never had before.
"In a sense, sir. Certainly the gift for prophecy is rare, but it does appear to be possible. Numerous anecdotes throughout history and legend attest to its existence. And while the methods often used in divination may be fallible, they should not be dismissed as worthless."
Having adjusted the tie to his satisfaction, Jeeves brushed an errant strand of Bertie's hair back into place, and then dusted off a minuscule fleck - which would have been invisible to anyone else - from the shoulder of the new robes.
And if Bertie leaned in slightly to the touch, who's to say he wasn't just adjusting his balance as his man tidied his appearance. This was a big day, after all, and making a good first impression is always important.
((This is just the preliminary thread to the actual class. Time for people to come in catch Jeeves and Bertie being affectionate do a little meet and greet, and find a seat. Just so you all know, everyone is going to need to pair up for the class, so if you can find a partner now, that will save time. And I promise the actual 'work' is going to be fun, quick, and easy.))
"Are we ready, Jeeves?"
"I think so, yes, sir," Jeeves replied, setting down the last of the thin china cup-and-saucers down in its place at the last small table. He looked around the room with a modicum of pride. The effluvia of previous Divination teachers - draperies, incense, star charts, and cat hair - had all been cleared away, the windows opened, and the classroom painted a faint, attractive blue, with cherry wood bookcases filled with those texts on Divination Jeeves had found particularly helpful, and an assortment of highly polished crystal balls and antique tarot decks on display. Each of the tables had two chairs pulled up, and each place had a set of beautifully carved tile letters and an empty cup and saucer.
Jeeves crossed over to where his master stood fidgeting at the lectern, and, noting that Bertie's necktie was ever so slightly askew, corrected it. "You are not at all apprehensive, sir, I hope?"
"Apprehensive? Dash, it, Jeeves, why should I be?" But Bertie visibly relaxed under Jeeves' ministering touch.
"It's going to be as easy as falling off a l," he added, considerably more calmly. "I just stand here what-hoing them as they come in, give them a bit of the 'This is Div' wheeze, set them to their assignment and drift around looking mysterious. Piece of jam pastry, what?"
Bertie looked around the classroom again, a puzzled frown on his expressive face. "I say, do you think this is all a bit... queer? I mean to say, you can't really tell the future this way, can you? Not unless you're Ezekiel or Isaiah or one of those chaps. So why did the school want us to tell them this rot? Is it one of those philosophies that isn't dreamt about?"
Jeeves had been giving this question a good deal of thought. A great many things seemed possible here at Hogwarts that never had before.
"In a sense, sir. Certainly the gift for prophecy is rare, but it does appear to be possible. Numerous anecdotes throughout history and legend attest to its existence. And while the methods often used in divination may be fallible, they should not be dismissed as worthless."
Having adjusted the tie to his satisfaction, Jeeves brushed an errant strand of Bertie's hair back into place, and then dusted off a minuscule fleck - which would have been invisible to anyone else - from the shoulder of the new robes.
And if Bertie leaned in slightly to the touch, who's to say he wasn't just adjusting his balance as his man tidied his appearance. This was a big day, after all, and making a good first impression is always important.
((This is just the preliminary thread to the actual class. Time for people to come in catch Jeeves and Bertie being affectionate do a little meet and greet, and find a seat. Just so you all know, everyone is going to need to pair up for the class, so if you can find a partner now, that will save time. And I promise the actual 'work' is going to be fun, quick, and easy.))