COMC-601 Lessons

My, my, how quickly the year has gone! It seems like just yesterday I was sending you all off to take your Ordinary Wizarding Level exams for the course. That means your Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests are going to be here before you know it. I know Professor Cattercorn and I would love to see you all succeed in those exams, so we have put together a study sheet for you to use over the break. It provides all the review PowerPoints for the course up to the end of this year, as well as other resources we feel will help you. I know it may seem too early to start preparing, but just remember, we have covered 57 creatures total since you began the course in Year Two and we still have at least another ten creatures to cover. By the time your N.E.W.T.s are on the horizon, there will be a ton of creature information to study. Hopefully starting this summer will help take some of the weight off of your shoulders in the coming year.

I would also like to have a brief discussion on careers as this year comes to a close. I know that many have your sights set on being a magizoologist or magiveterinarian, which are both perfectly reasonable career choices. However, the thought of treating creatures all day might not be everyone’s cup of tea. You may want to introduce new legislature to protect creatures in our community. Or you may want to stop people from committing crimes regarding creatures, like what I do. Whatever you choose to do, this course will be beneficial. Not only are there opportunities within the Ministry of Magic, there are private agencies, sanctuaries, and rescues. These are career options that are always available that not everyone thinks about. Ultimately, I decided to discuss your opportunities because I want you to remember there are not simply two routes for you to take: the Ministry or magiveterinary medicine. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or Professor Cattercorn. We will also discuss this more towards the end of Year Seven, as you finish your N.E.W.T.s and have to finalize your decisions on your future.

Well, let’s move on to the rest of the content for today. Like we have done every year, Professor Cattercorn and I have made a review powerpoint for you. You can find it here. Like always, it is best to review everything we have covered this year, including the year-long project. While we will test you on the year-long project, it will not be included on your N.E.W.T.s. Magicryptozoology is not included in standardized testing. Professor Cattercorn and I choose to teach it so that you understand all aspects of the creatures in the magical world. However, your year-long project next year may be included on the N.E.W.T.s. While I can’t say anymore at the risk of spoiling the surprise, I will say it is a great project to end the course with.

Now, let’s move on to discussing your project submission and final exam. Like your midterms and finals have been set up since Year Five, you will complete a practical rather than a written test. Our goal is to prepare you the best we can for the practical portion of the N.E.W.T.s and at this point in your academic career you should know how to take a written test. For your final this year, we recommend bundling up, as winter is coming early this year!

As for your project submission, you will need to have updated your rough draft from what you submitted last week. There are several different aspects of the report that need to be included for your report to be graded:

1. Background Material - You need to include a physical description of your chosen cryptid, as well as a photograph. It does not have to be one you have taken, but providing one from one of your witnesses strengthens your report. You also need to include the geographical range of the cryptid. You should include your map, as this gives a visual representation of the area you are discussing.
2. Witness Reports - Remember, you need at least five witnesses and three different accounts total. If you are still missing some, you might need to do more research to make sure you have the required amount for the report. If you have any questions, or need help with your research, make sure to reach out to myself or Professor Cattercorn.
3. Relevance - You need to determine why this creature should be recognized. What makes it relevant to the magical world? Can its fur, nails, or other body parts be used in potions? Does it possess any magical abilities like invisibility? This is important, as the Ministry will not consider recognizing a creature that isn’t relevant to the wizarding world. You may also choose to discuss if it was developed due to magic, like the Crup.

It is also important to include your sources. Make sure to give credit where credit is due. If you borrow a sketch from someone, say who you borrowed it from. If someone gave you a great physical description, say who gave it to you. You did not build this report alone; you relied on knowledge based down by other individuals and you need to cite your sources.

Like last year, you will have the opportunity to submit your report to the Ministry of Magic. I do hope more people utilize this opportunity than last year, as it is a great way to show the Ministry what you are capable of before graduating from school. I never had this type of opportunity during my time at Hogwarts, but I know I would have loved to be able to show the Ministry what I spent an entire school year working on.

With that, I will end the lesson today. Professor Cattercorn is busily preparing your final exam, and I must be off to assist her in the preparations. We have to perform quite a few weather modification charms for this final, and she has always been so much better at them than me. While she performs those, I have to bring the creatures in for you. We will see you at your final exam, and if we don’t get to speak to you after, we hope you have an amazing summer and that we will see you next year!