fortune and fortitude [archie]

[IVY BURKE]

Late February 2026

Ivy regarded the parchment before her. It was a thoughtful piece by Addilyn Slater, a seventh year who seemed too keen to do well for her own good. Ivy admired her ambition, but knew it was somewhat misplaced. The girl was so focused on doing well in school, but what of her life afterwards? Ivy had spoken briefly with Professor Zabini about the girl's career options, and had made a concerted effort not to show her dismay when he revealed that Addilyn had a knack for muggle technology. Perhaps she could be swayed, but Ivy knew the company she kept - loud Gryffindors and loving Hufflepuffs. With a frown, she marked a note on the essay, shaking her head to herself as she did so.

Hours passed as Ivy carefully went over each and every essay that had been handed in by her seventh years - it was a critical point in their magical schooling, and her expertise would be unendingly helpful. According to the Greeks, magic stemmed as a gift from the gods, one student wrote. An interesting view to take, thought Ivy as she read on to see that this student had disagreed with the existence of gods and that magic itself was no gift, but instead a curse. Ivy fully disagreed, but she was a fair professor. Even if this student was wrong, as long as they supported their opinion well....

The essay wore on, circling around the central point but never explaining why magic was a curse. Ivy sucked on the quill before marking down notes on the essay, completely unaware that she was no longer alone in the staff room.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I free fall in a black hole

I know I'm getting warm
'cause I feel so cold

February 2026
IVY BURKE

Unsurprisingly the busiest part of the Spring term for the students was never the rush to cram before OWLs or NETWs or even the Quidditch Cup final for the House Teams—it was Valentine’s day. But that season had passed, but Archie swore he still found heart-shaped confetti in his classroom and as well as the hallways when he walked to find refuge in the staff room while he had some free time. He entered the room, which had a charmed door that didn’t allow students to enter—not that many tried. It was quiet, which wasn’t unusual for this time of day. Classes were still in session even as dinner approached, and professors often stayed behind to speak to their students and answer their questions for NEWTs. Archie had stayed behind with a student to discuss career questions. Every once in a while, his previous experience at the museum would come up.

Quickly he noted someone in the room, silently reading papers, but he recognized Ivy—her classroom was down the hall from his own, and so far, his entire teaching career had overlapped with her own. From what he was told, she was incredibly young when she was hired but had quickly proved herself as intelligent and capable as the most veteran Professor, and all doubts were quickly put aside. In his own experience, he’d happily asked questions. Even if he was out of practice, his brain still thought like a Cursebreaker. ”Good afternoon Ivy.” Archie greeted to announce his presence, taking a seat nearby with his own bag full of Arithmancy papers to grade. His own NEWT level class submitted number charts, but from a historical perspective. Numbers had patterns, and they made sense, especially in hindsight. Still, he expected a variety of answers written ten minutes before class had started.

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[IVY BURKE]

Ivy pursed her lips, considering the paper before her before marking a point off. It evaded her why students failed to explain their reasoning. Things didn’t happen just because. Sighing heavily through her nose, she wrote a cramped note in the corner of the parchment, and underlined it thrice. And then an extra time for good measure. She was so involved in her marking that she didn’t notice when her colleague Professor Vector joined her at the table. With a little start of surprise, Ivy fixed her dark eyes on Archie. ”Hello,” she greeted cordially, before returning her attention to the next essay.

A long moment of silence stretched between the pair, broken only by the occasional scratching of a quill on parchment. ”I wonder how much of what we teach is actually retained by our students,” said Ivy with a wry little smile, glancing at her colleague. ”So many of these essays seem to circle a point. I remember doing so much extra research as a student, but I suppose I had it easy with my mum and dad marking me rather than some Professor from the other side of the world,” said Ivy.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I free fall in a black hole

I know I'm getting warm
'cause I feel so cold

February 2026
IVY BURKE

The room was silent except for the noise of a clock on the wall. But Archie tuned It out as he reviewed the essays his seventh years had submitted that morning. The one placed on top had a large ink stain in the corner, and Archie couldn’t decide if it had been written right before class that morning. But also, any seventh-year should know how to quickly and accurately clean up such a stain from their parchment. That didn’t give him confidence in the words he would read next. Ivy, Professor Burke, greeted him quickly and resumed her grading. Archie hardly took offense as they were both serious about their work and time to socialize later. Still, while Ivy was focused and calm, it differed from the other Professor Burke on staff, Hazel.

He’d lost count of how many essays he’d read through, and this one he decided not to finish after reading nearly a foot and deciding it wasn’t actually saying anything. But his eyes moved up to look at Ivy when she spoke. ”I would say about half of what we lecture or assign in reading unless you have an overachiever.” And Archie knew a few in his classes. They were well on their way to becoming Cursebreakers or Aurors. ”Although it’s not for lack of effort.” Archie commented, sitting up straighter in his chair—reading had caused him to slouch. ”There are a few Aurors that barely passed my course even before I took up the posting.” Even if Archie hadn’t taught them himself, he still knew names and stories.

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[IVY BURKE]

The occasional scratching of quills was interrupted only by the constant ticking of the clock. Ivy frowned down at the poorly written essay before her, before making an idle comment to her colleague, Archie. She didn't know him very well, but he seemed friendly enough. At least he taught a reasonable subject - Arithmancy. Still, Ivy had never made much of a habit of befriending her colleagues. She simply wasn't that sort of girl.

A small smile formed on Ivy's lips as she considered Archie's comments. "I do believe half would be a bit of a stretch," she said easily, crossing off another sentence on this paper and making a cramped note of the constant repetition. "Wish we had more over achievers. These seventh years would learn something from the young Miss Slater," she added after a moment, finally looking up and catching Archie's eye. "Do you think so? I think some of the seventh years are just gliding by at this point. Giving up at the close of the school year isn't how real life works, unfortunately," she replied. "You were an auror before teaching?" she enquired, tilting her head slightly.

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I free fall in a black hole

I know I'm getting warm
'cause I feel so cold

February 2026
IVY BURKE

Archie wondered how much classroom location affected relationships between Professors. On the fourth floor, it was himself and Professor Burke’s classrooms. The other Professor Burke was two floors above them. But their subjects were important—Magical theory was critical for any form of advanced magic, and his own subject was required for career tracks in Law Enforcement or Cursebreaking. Ivy believed his answer to be optimistic, which it probably was, but he made an effort to give his students the benefit of the doubt. Having pushed through so much in his own younger years and hiding to show nothing wrong, he knew there were more like him.

Still, he nodded his head in agreement. Ivy spoke of the student in his class though her career track was not what he’d expected. Still, he didn’t dissuade her from it. Cursebreaking had never actually been his true passion as his work at the museum or teaching now was. ”Yes, she’s doing quite well in my class as well. I was surprised she didn’t choose the Auror or Cursebreaking track.” Since her sister was an Auror, it might have been expected. ”Cursebreaker.” Archie corrected her. Though he knew Aurors and then, of course, the ones that passed through his classroom over the past five years. ”I also worked for the museum before taking the posting here.”

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[IVY BURKE]

Ivy hummed absently as she marked another note on the paper before her. "Agreed, I don't really understand the use of muggle technology. I suppose I should try a bit harder to learn about it, just a bit bizarre how they're used instead of magic." She shrugged. In reality, she wouldn't make any more of an effort to understand muggle technology. After all, they had magic. What did they mean muggle technology for?

"I suppose that makes more sense with the Arithmancy," said Ivy with a small smile. She placed her quill on the table, and folded her hands before her, looking up at Archie. Her dark eyes roved over his face. "I wonder, for someone to have come from such an adventurous background, how do you feel settling down into a teaching role? Surely the museum and field work were more ...interesting, no?" asked Ivy. "What made you leave and start teaching?"

octavian archimedes vector jr.

[octavian archimedes vector jr.]

I free fall in a black hole

I know I'm getting warm
'cause I feel so cold

February 2026
IVY BURKE

Archie had always felt indifferent toward muggle technology and information. There was a curiosity he carried for it, but it was the same curiosity and open mind he’d carried with him into Cursebreaking. So, he was not against it by any means, but he’d hardly signed up for a Muggle Studies NEWT level course in his day. It was progress, much as they had progressed as a magical society when all the tombs he’d entered had been created. Most might not see it like that as they only saw point A and point Z, but he figured those were the people that didn’t pay much attention in History of Magic either.

It was known that Slater was not applying for Auror or Cursebreaker training, much to some’s surprise. But from what Archie had been told when he’d inquired on Ms. Slater’s career path, her sister was an Auror, and her brother worked for the Prophet as a Quidditch reporter. So while her sister set a precedent, it was not always followed. Archie did little to talk her out of her choice as he knew it was important to follow one’s passions for oneself and nobody else. Ivy asked Archie why he chose to teach, and that was a common question he received.

”A few reasons.” Archie explained, pausing to gather his thoughts. ”I realized I wasn’t happy.” There had been some idea he’d dreamt up in his own teenage mind that said that doing something glorious and dangerous would gain his father’s approval. That had been an impossible dream. ”Plus, there is nothing like a brush with death to change one’s priorities.” That was the common answer among former cursebreakers. Though most were forced into retirement and would go back in a heartbeat. ”You see—the students in my class are well on their way to being successful Aurors and Cursebreakers, they don’t often ask me for advice on their career choices, but I just tell them to choose for the right reasons.”

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