The group of students and teachers watched in amazement as the moon came closer, its silvery-grey surface showing countless craters and jagged edges, with shadows becoming clearer and more detailed.
Excited murmurs filled the air but then faded when their perspective stopped, and the class became completely captivated by the sight before them.
"Observe the many impact marks on the surface," Maverick began after giving the students a moment to take in the scene. "The craters you see were formed by meteorites—rocks from space—colliding with the moon's surface."
He watched as they all stared in fascination, letting a moment of silence pass until one of them tentatively raised a hand.
"Go ahead..." he gestured for the student to speak.
"Professor, why doesn't Earth look like this? I mean, the moon looks like it's been hit by so many meteorites."
"An excellent question," Maverick said with a pleased smile tugging at his lips. "The answer is a bit complicated, but I'll explain it as simply as I can. It's because of a combination of scientific principles—gravity, motion, and something called air resistance."
"Understanding these concepts fully requires grasping the basics first. That is the main objective for me teaching this Muggle Science class... to help you make sense of such phenomena. And I promise, by the time you graduate, you'll be able to answer these questions on your own."
The student who asked the question perked up happily, likely one of the sixth-years who had chosen the course as an elective. Maverick smiled and then glanced around, noticing the growing curiosity in the room.
"Well, I shall explain anyway and try to keep it as simple as possible," he paused before continuing. "Earth doesn't look like the moon because our planet has what you call an atmosphere... or air... surrounding it."
"For example, think of a Quaffle in Quidditch. When you throw it, it starts off fast, but as it travels further, it slows down and eventually stops, or is caught. That's because of air resistance—the force of the air pushing against it."
"In the case of meteorites, when they enter Earth's atmosphere, air resistance slows them down... or even burns them up... before they can hit the ground."
He let that words linger before adding, "This same principle... air resistance... the principles of this air resistance, is applied by Muggle to their inventions made to fly, like airplanes. Their designs account for these forces. And while we, as wizards, often overlook such things, Muggles spend every day studying these laws of nature, using their knowledge to create and innovate."
With a flick of his hand, he then projected a 3D image of the Wright brothers' first airplane, animating it as it wobbled into the air. "This is how Muggles learned to fly. Over time," he waved his hand again, and the image changed to show the evolution of airplanes, "they went from wooden contraptions like this to massive, metal machines capable of carrying hundreds of passengers... and all of this happened in the span of less than a century."
Dismissing the projection, he turned back to the scene. He noticed the students—and even the teachers—seemed a little different, their expressions perhaps showing a newfound respect. It might have been the first time they truly grasped just how extraordinary Muggle ingenuity could be.
"All right, let us move on." He smiled while saying, then, with a simple gesture, pointed toward the Earth. "Look at our home... I mean, really look at it. From this distance, it seems so small—almost like a moon itself, doesn't it?"
The students turned their gazes to the floating orb, their expressions ranging from awe to quiet reflection.
Maverick let the moment linger before raising his hand again. "Let's move a little farther away." And with a wave, their perspective changed once more. The Earth and its moon shrank further into the distance until both were visible, the moon orbiting its larger companion in a steady motion.
"As you can see, the moon is about one-quarter the size of the Earth. Observe its movement..." He made another subtle gesture, and accelerated the time flow. The Earth spun on its axis, while the moon traced its elliptical path around it. "Notice how the Earth's rotation causes night and day? The sun's light bathes the Earth, and whichever side faces it experiences daytime."
A few students nodded, their faces lighting up with understanding.
"And the moon," he continued, "why does it revolve around the Earth? Does anyone know?"
The silence stretched, but this time, no student seemed to know the answer.
Maverick smiled then continued. "It's because of gravity. The Earth's gravity pulls the moon toward it, keeping it in orbit. At the same time, the moon's momentum keeps it from crashing into the Earth. It's a perfect balance... like a dance between two partners."
He snapped his fingers, conjuring another projection before the class. The students straightened, their attention caught by the glowing, three dimensional animated image of a Bludger tethered to a string.
Taking the string in his hand, Maverick began to spin in a circle.
"Imagine the Bludger is the moon, and the string represents gravity. As I spin it, the string keeps the Bludger from flying away." He quickened the motion, the Bludger whirring in a tight loop. "Now, what do you think happens if I let go?"
One hesitant hand rose—a curly-haired girl in Ravenclaw robes. "It would fly away, Professor?"
"Exactly!" Maverick released the illusionary string, and the Bludger shot off, zooming past the students before vanishing with a faint pop. "Without gravity, the moon would fly off into space, no longer held in orbit around the Earth."
The class murmured in realization, even the professors standing at the back nodding in understanding.
"This balance," Maverick explained, "between gravity pulling inward and motion pushing outward is what keeps the moon circling the Earth instead of crashing into it... or flying away. It's as if the moon is constantly falling toward the Earth but missing it because of its spiraling speed."
He paused, scanning their faces. "And this balance isn't just about orbits. It creates tides. The moon's pull on Earth affects our oceans. Without it, life as we know it would be drastically different."
A hush fell over the group as the weight of his words sank in. Then Maverick smiled, his tone softening. "Understanding these principles helps us appreciate the wonders of our world."
With a subtle turn, he pointed toward two faint dots in the distance. "Now, look there. See those two glowing specks? That's Mars... and over there, Jupiter."
The illusion changed again, their vantage point moving closer to the red planet. Maverick spoke as they traveled. "The distance between London and New York is about 3,500 miles. The distance between Earth and the moon?" He paused gathering their curiosity, "250,000 miles.... And Mars? It's over 150... million miles away."
As they approached, the red planet came into view, its dusty surface shimmering faintly under the magical light. The students leaned forward, expressions alight with wonder.
"Professor," a Gryffindor blurted out, unable to contain their excitement, "is this really what Mars looks like?"
Maverick chuckled. "Indeed. Muggle telescopes have captured images detailed like this. But we'll save that for another lesson. For now, enjoy the view."
The Weasley twins exchanged grins, their whispers carrying just enough for Maverick to catch.
"This is brilliant, Fred. Who knew coming to see the new professor in action would amount to such a show..."
"Absolutely, George! The best decision we've made since joining Hogwarts."
Maverick allowed himself a quiet laugh before giving the class a moment to soak it all in, their excitement filling the space like a tangible energy.
"I know this is all very fascinating, but it's time to move on, children," Maverick called out after a moment, drawing the students' attention back to him.
"Alright. First, I want you all to take another look at our home over there," he said, gesturing with his hand. "That tiny dot over there... that is our home."
He paused, letting the image of the distant Earth sink in before continuing. "Just like when you look at the night sky and see Mars as a small, glowing dot, from here, our home appears as nothing more than a speck of light."
He waved his hand again, and the scene began to shift. "Now, as we move closer to Jupiter, which is about... 500 million miles away from Earth, that little dot representing our home planet will become fainter and fainter."
The illusion kept on changing, pulling them faster, until Jupiter came into view in all its majesty.
"This is Jupiter... It's the largest planet in our solar system, so massive you could fit over a thousand Earths inside it... 500 million miles away from where we live—just imagine how far that is."
The students murmured in amazement, their eyes glued to the colossal gas giant. Maverick offered a few more facts about Jupiter before moving them further into space. He showed glimpses of Saturn's iconic rings, the icy blue of Neptune, and finally zoomed out to reveal the entire solar system.
For the first time, the students saw all the planets revolving around the sun in their elliptical orbits. They stared in awe, marveling at the sheer vastness of the system and how small Earth seemed in comparison.
Maverick allowed the scene to linger before the illusion changed once again. The sun, once stationary, began gliding forward through the black expanse of space. Around it, the planets continued their intricate dance.
"Professor, why is the sun moving?" a student asked, their voice filled with curiosity.
Maverick smiled. "The answer lies in the same force we've been talking about. The same force that makes an apple fall from a tree, that keeps the moon in orbit around the Earth, and that causes the planets to revolve around the sun."
"The same principles of science Muggles are studying and using what they have learned to invent incredible innovations, that has allowed them to transform their way of life... moving from traveling by horses and boats to sending massive structures into space... all in just a span of decades."
He gestured toward the sun. "Watch how these very laws of science unfold on a grand scale. Just like how the Earth moves through space because of the sun, the sun, too, moves through space, pulled by something far greater than itself—something so vast and mysterious that Muggles have only just begun to understand it."
He turned to the class. "Observe this magnificent dance. Even those of you studying Astronomy may not have seen the solar system from this perspective."
Gasps of amazement filled the room as the students watched the sun leading its family of planets through space, spiraling forward like a shepherd guiding a flock. "The sun doesn't stay in one place," he explained. "It moves through space, pulling the planets along with it in a grand, magnificent spiral."
After a moment, the illusion expanded, pulling back farther. Tiny pinpricks of light began to appear in the distance, gradually brightening.
Maverick gestured toward the stars coming into view. "These are stars, just like our sun. Some are smaller, others much larger. Some are blue, some are red, and many are the same color as our sun... and there are countless billions of them scattered across... so many, in fact, that I can't even begin to project the unimaginable numbers in this illusion."
The murmurs grew louder as more stars appeared, filling the space around them. Maverick didn't wait for any questions this time and continued, pointing to one star before zooming in briefly. "Each of these stars has its own solar system, with planets and moons orbiting it, just like ours."
With a dramatic motion, Maverick zoomed out even further. The stars blurred, stretching into countless lines of light, and the students' gasps grew louder as they turned their heads in every direction, watching the scene unfold before them.
The countless dots of light began to shift, transforming into glowing clouds, until, at last, the Milky Way galaxy emerged in all its glory. Its spiral arms stretched across the scene, resembling rivers of light flowing through the vastness of space.
"What in the world is that...?"
"It's like a giant vortex..."
The murmurs of students filled the space as they watched the familiar yet unfamiliar shape unfold before them. Maverick noticed even the professors were visibly intrigued, barely able to restrain the flood of questions forming in their minds.
"This... is a galaxy," Maverick said softly, his voice carrying through the room, subtly enhanced by his magic to echo with dramatic effect. "Our galaxy. Our home... The Milky Way. It contains billions of stars like our sun, and trillions of planets like the ones in our solar system. It's so vast that traveling by any normal means would be impossible."
"Professor, can you give an example like you did before?" A student asked eagerly, looking at him with anticipation.
Maverick smiled, his gaze sweeping across the class of adults and children, all now hanging on his every word.
"The fastest thing Muggles have measured is light," he continued. "Light can travel 300,000 kilometers in one second. Can you imagine how fast that is?"
He paused for a moment, letting the information sink in, before chuckling lightly. "Well, imagine you are light. That means you can travel around the Earth eight times in just one second. And the speed of light over a whole year? That's almost ten trillion kilometers."
"And our galaxy," Maverick gestured toward the swirling expanse before them, "is so vast that light would take 100,000 years to cross it. What you're seeing there is ten trillion kilometers multiplied by a hundred thousand. That's how immense it is."
The room fell silent as the students processed the numbers and the size of the vortex of stars in front of them. However, the unimaginable scale that had just been explained to them left them with nothing but speechlessness.
Maverick let the image linger, watching as complicated expressions slowly spread across the children's faces.
When he sensed it was time, he spoke again, his voice soft but imbued with meaning. "Remember to always remain humble... No matter how powerful you think you are... whether because of your family name or your individual achievements... on the grand scale of the universe, you are smaller than even a speck of light."
The students all nodded in unison, with no questions in their eyes. For many, this was the first time they truly grasped how vast, complex, and extraordinary the universe was.
If only they knew, this was just the beginning.
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Author's Note:
Just a quick update — up to Chapter 110 is already available on P AT r30n!
PAT r30n [.] com / RyanFic