~ π WEEKLY POWER GOALS ππ₯ 60β1ch | 100β2ch | 200β5ch β° Resets Monday! Thanks!
For the rest of the period, even the most indifferent students started paying attention. The connection between household appliances and buying tickets was tenuous at best, but somehow, the mere mention of an exam seemed to make everyone more interested in the washing machine.
"From a wizard's perspective, the washing machine is a very novel appliance," Anthony said. "To my knowledge, cleaning magic like the Scourgify Charm has been around for at least a thousand years. Students haven't had to worry about laundry since Hogwarts was founded."
"Thirteen hundred," Roger said. "I just finished an essay on it."
Anthony nodded. "Thirteen hundred. Thank you, Mr. Davies." He continued, "But the washing machine, the electric one we're discussing, has only existed for the last century or so."
"What about before then?" a student asked. "Did Muggles just wash everything by hand?"
"Generally, yes. Before washing machines, almost everyone washed clothes by hand. I've heard sailors would bundle their clothes and toss them into the sea, dragging them behind the ship to clean them during the voyage, but that's a different story. That's why we consider electriβ¦"
"What about the Queen?" another student piped up. "Muggles have queens and kings, right? What about them? Did they wash by hand too?"
Anthony hesitated. "Before the washing machine, I suppose so." There might have been clothes worn only once, but he wasn't sure. He hadn't exactly been to the Queen's laundry room.
"Right," the student mused. "Maybe that's why the Malfoys got land from Muggles. If I had to wash by hand, I'd trade land for a laundry spell too."
"Even without magic, queens and kings usually didn't wash their own clothes," Anthony clarified quickly.
"Did Muggles really give the Malfoys their land?" Emery asked.
Roger answered, "Yeah. I forget which king, but my grandfather, before he completely erased our name from the family tree, used to say the Malfoys even did business with Muggles for ages."
"Hard to imagine," Cedric muttered very quietly from the front row.
Meanwhile, his deskmate, another Hufflepuff fourth-year, spoke up loudly. "I know! The royalty would hire other Muggles to wash for them."
"A reasonable guess," Anthony said, noticing the boy's face turn bright red with instant regret after speaking. "One point to Hufflepuff."
"Just like the Malfoys," another student said. "Malfoys couldn't be bothered with cleaning charms. That's why they have house-elves."
The student who guessed about the Malfoy land also looked deeply regretful, making a face at her neighbor.
Anthony heard the neighbor say in a knowing, sing-song voice, "Yeah, you really should stop reading those stories about Merlin doing Arthur's laundry."
β¦
After covering the uses and importance of the washing machine, they spent some time calculating how many Galleons a standard washing machine might cost, comparing it to the average British household income recorded in their textbook.
"For wizards, it can sometimes be hard to imagine a Muggle family that isn't well-off," Anthony said. "So far, almost everything we've learned has been comparing things from the magical world to things used in Muggle life. The Lumos Charm and electric lights, the Floo Network and telephones, Scourgify and the washing machine, and so on.
"But the truth is, these things, though they only take a few spells for us, aren't so easy for many Muggle families.
"Everyone had flying lessons in first year, right?" Anthony saw several nods and smiled. "But, as far as I know, Muggle students don't typically learn to fly airplanes in their first year."
Anthony flipped to the front cover of the textbook and held it up for the class. "The Lives and Social Customs of British Muggle Families. I want to remind you all, ladies and gentlemen, that while we talk about all these Muggle inventions, it doesn't mean all Muggles live this way.
"Often, Professor Burbage, myself, and many Muggle studies researchers try to tell wizards that Muggles and wizards aren't as different as people think. And that's true. But the differences between Muggles and wizards do exist. For you," Anthony paused, smiling at the students watching him, "since we've spent a year and a half learning how similar wizards and Muggles are, sometimes it's even more important to remind ourselves to respect those differences.
"Not everyone can clean their clothes easily. Not everyone can Apparate. And that's okay." Anthony glanced at Cedric, who seemed to understand what was coming next. "Do you like Pepper Imps, Mr. Diggory?"
"Me?" Cedric shrugged. "I like them well enough. They're fun."
"I don't care for them as much," Anthony said. "Some people like Pepper Imps. Some don't. And that's fine. People don't need to be the same in every way.
"We have different ways of living, different habits, different likes and dislikes. But different doesn't mean opposed. Through talking, through understanding, we can often find common ground even within our differences."
A student asked, somewhat confused, "So, Professor Anthony, in the story of the washing machine, where is the common ground between Muggles and us?"
"We all want clean clothes," Anthony said. "And none of us want to wash them by hand."
A few students chuckled.
Anthony smiled. "I'm serious. Professor Flitwick told me magic comes from desire. In a way, what we're learning aboutβthese inventions, the creations of the Muggles we live alongsideβthey also come from desire. From that similar desire, wizards and Muggles used different methods, took different lengths of time, and ultimately reached similar results.
"Class dismissed. No homework. Review how to buy tickets."
The bell rang. Anthony began gathering his things from the lectern. Students shoved textbooks into bags and started standing up, chatting as they drifted toward the door.
"Goodbye, Professor Anthony," Cedric said as he passed the lectern.
"Goodbye," Anthony said. Then he remembered. "Wait a moment, Mr. Diggory."
Cedric turned back, puzzled. "Yes, Professor?"
"Because you like Pepper Imps," Anthony said. Cedric's deskmate stood beside him, watching Anthony anxiously. "Hufflepuff wins a tin of coconut ice."
He picked up the tin from the corner of the lectern and placed it in Cedric's hands. The remaining students still in the classroom looked over.
Emery said, "What? That makes no logical sense."
"A perfectly logical objection," Anthony said approvingly. "Ravenclaw wins a tin."
He let another tin fall from his bag onto Emery's desk.
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The I-Don't-Know-How-Manyth Official Notice of Absence Just the regular Tuesday overtime hiatus. Haven't run off. Don't panic. β Senior Typist, Salmon
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