Professor of the Issue: Professor Robert Plumb

For this issue, we will honour a fine member of staff named Professor Robert Plumb, Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts. Stick around until the end to read an interview.

Professor Robert Plumb is an Astronomy Professor. He is a member of the Ravenclaw house and was born in Toronto, Canada, on June 27, 1968, so mark it in your calendars! Both his parents are Muggles and he has no siblings. At the age of 8, he became fascinated with astronomy and devoured all the astronomy books in the Toronto Public Library. In 1979, at the age of 11, he was invited to study at Hogwarts. He declined the invitation because Voldemort was running things in Britain. Instead, he studied in Muggle schools, graduating from secondary school with top grades in mathematics and physics, grades ranging from good (in chemistry), mediocre (in history), and the second-lowest grade in his class in physical training; the only boy who got a lower grade was being punished for bad behaviour. He then studied mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Toronto and earned his PhD in astronomy in 1992 at the age of 24.

Then, with Voldemort having been temporarily defeated, he enrolled in Hogwarts as a mature student and was sorted into Ravenclaw. You won’t have heard of him having studied at Hogwarts because he kept a low profile. There he learned for the first time about magical astronomy, which fascinates him just as much as Muggle astronomy ever did. He eventually graduated with some Os, including Astronomy, some Es, and one A in DADA, because he was too unathletic to duel effectively.

There being no opening in Hogwarts for an Astronomy Professor, he returned to Toronto, where he eked out a living giving private lessons in mathematics, physics, and astronomy until a position opened up at the Richmond Hill Observatory just north of Toronto. There he met a woman with whom he instantly fell in love - a Muggle. They got married soon thereafter and now has two sons, both Squibs, and both already grown men.

A position as Astronomy Professor at Hogwarts opened up in 2018 when he was 50. He applied for it and was accepted in early 2019 at the age of 51; so now he will resume his role as an educator, this time teaching magical as well as Muggle astronomy.

INTERVIEW

Q: Why do you want to teach?

A: I like astronomy and I want to interest other people in it too.

Q: As an astronomer, what is your most significant discovery or theory?

A: Mars looks brighter when it's opposite the Sun in the sky than when it looks near the Sun. That's obvious, but what I discovered is that its naked-eye proof that Earth revolves around the Sun because if the Sun revolved around Earth, Mars would look brighter when it appears to be near the Sun. If only Aristarchus of Samos had thought of it, he would have had proof of his heliocentric model of the solar system.

Q: Describe your worst day in class.

A: When Firenze gave a guest lecture to my class about the influence of the planets' reflected magic on different aspects of our lives, I foolishly said that we were lucky to have heard it straight from the horse's mouth. That's an expression that means from the source, but he was insulted and stormed angrily out of my class.

Q: Describe your experience writing proposals and scholarly articles for astronomy.

A: I'm more into teaching and observing than research, so I didn't write any proposals for research funding. I did write up my observations that I mentioned to you about Mars and also a simpler explanation about how gravity assist works than anything I could find on the Muggle internet, but I submitted those articles to a pedagogical journal rather than a research one. I'm waiting for the referees' report.

Q: What’s your favourite subject? (other than astronomy, of course)

A: Transfiguration.

Q: Of the celestial events that you’ve witnessed, which is your favourite? Why?

A: A total eclipse of the Moon. It's a common event, but this time it was beautiful because the Moon turned a bright red. Sometimes it only turns grey or brown or a sort of dull orange, but this time it turned so red that it could properly be called a Blood Moon. But that's not the only thing that made this eclipse my favourite or even the most important one. The Moon's reflected magic is reduced during an eclipse, so it's safe to look at through a von Rheticus telescope, Mooncalves run back into their burrows, and werewolves transform back into human form.

Q: Why do you believe it is important for students to learn astronomy?

A: Muggle astronomy is interesting in its own right - for those who have a taste for it - but magical astronomy is important for students to learn so that they'll know when it's the best or the worst time for certain activities. For example, when the Astronomical Magical Effect of Jupiter is high, it gives everyone more power, so that's a good time to do difficult magic. And think of what could happen if you were in the company of a werewolf during an eclipse of the Moon. He'd be in his human form, but when the eclipse ended he'd transform back into his wolf-like form, and if you didn't know that would happen and he hadn't taken Wolfsbane Potion ... well, I don't have to say what the consequences could be.

For even more on Professor Robert Plumb, you can go to his profile in the link below:

<a href="../../../586668/"> https://www.hogwartsishere.com/586668/</a>

- By Sabrina Tremblay, HG Founder, Editor & Manager