Article by Ash Lee
The picture was taken BEFORE the clock was fixed and the darkness was gone. Kind of sort of didn’t see until later that their eyes were closed. They were totally awake when I got there and didn’t fall asleep during the interview at all or anything like that. SORRY PROFESSOR!!!
I did this interview last and in the library since that’s where the professor wanted to meet.
I thought the library might be a quiet little place for us to meet. Plus it smells lovely, doesn’t it? Wood polish and old books.
The first thing I asked was preferred pronouns, since I’ve heard different people using different ones.
I generally go by ‘they’ because I don’t let myself be corralled in by a silly little thing like gender, but I’m comfortable with however people address me. I tend to go by Kit unless I want to really sound debonair. Then, of course, only Kittredge will do!
It’s kind of hard to tell with the darkness and stuff, but each of those chain link looking bits of the scarf is a knit circle, not just a jumbo chain. I asked if they made it and if it’s always that size or if it gets shrunk to put it away.
Oh, this? Yes, actually. I like the pattern. I have it in a few different colours. It is, in fact, always this size. Gauge 7 yarn, you see. Cotton, much softer than wool, more durable than acrylic. It’s always a good statement piece when the weather’s cool.
I’m not sure what gauge 7 yarn means. I know the other bits about what it’s made up since my gramma knits, though she only really sorts hers by color and if it’s cotton or wool or whatever. Maybe we’ll talk about it in class this year? There was talk in class about wixen on purpose wearing two colours so they know when someone else is wixen. I asked about that bit next since yarn maths might be complicated and there were only a few more hours until curfew.
Like I said in class, it’s something that isn’t really much in fashion anymore. I think we should develop a series of hand signals, personally. Like a fraternity! But yes, apparently in days past, it was all the rage for wixen to wear violet and green together in public as a bit of a signal. Just something to look out for, if you’re lost or in need of help. Honestly, I don’t just go up to random strangers and start chatting… well, I /do/, but I don’t generally go actively looking for people to do that with. I grew up around theatre people, it’s much easier to find them. And eccentrics tend to be very accommodating to other eccentrics.
Then, I asked a bit about theatre people and if that meant muggle as well as magical.
Oh, magical, mostly. My mother was in the theatre, before she settled down to focus on social endeavours, parties, balls, so on and so forth. She did some occasional stage work when I was a child still, and I mingled with them quite a bit. But she did a couple muggle productions as well. I did go to a muggle theatre camp a few summers as a youth. I was the most fabulous Prince of Denmark to ever grace the stage! But after graduation, I worked in London productions for awhile as well. But it’s tedious, stressful work to be in a long running show.
I asked the same question I asked the other Professor Caldwells about who had the idea to come here to teach first.
Well, Marron and Finnian always wanted to be professors. I’m a bit more of a free spirit, you see. But after awhile, I started to notice that so many young wixen were leaving school lacking in… certain social graces. Through no fault of their own, of course, nor can you truly blame the school administration. There is a need to focus on so many things like Transfigurations and Charms. However, how can we thrive if this generation doesn’t understand how one behaves in social situations, or that they believe they must dull their shine to fit in with the rest of wixenkind, or if they’re just so… nervous that they just become hermits? Not that I take issue with hermits. I know some very fine hermits. One of which has an excellent recipe for a potato chowder that will literally knock your socks off. Truly. I was wearing one of my favorite pairs when I first tried it and I’m still missing one!
Other Professor Caldwell does divinations and said some of it is for finding stuff in the present. I asked if they had him try and look for it.
Oh, I wouldn’t bother him with something that silly. A pair of socks is just a pair of socks. Sometimes, you just have to accept that something is a sign to go out and buy more socks!
I then asked what house they were in and what it was like to be back. And I also mentioned the bit I heard about having to share a room since, before the interviews, I thought professors all got their own rooms.
We’re married, poppet! Of course we share a room. We’re hardly Victorian. It’s a bit small, but not terribly so. Cozy, really. And we spend most of our time out on the grounds or in the classroom anyway. But ah, yes. To answer your other question, I was formerly of the Ravenclaw house. And it’s nice, being back, I suppose. Out in the countryside, in the heart of British Wixen Academia. One couldn’t be happier. Not that I don’t miss my London friends, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.
I also asked why they picked homemaking magic and what topic they were going to teach was their favourite.
Ah. Well I believe homemaking magic is very important. It takes the core magics, like charms, transfigurations, potions… maybe even a little divination and shows their practicality, where when you’re in some of those core classes, you’re primarily learning how to do them, perhaps how to duel with them, but one needs to be able to critically think about how to apply things to their day to day life. Of course, my favourite part of my homemaking magic program this year is the topic of entertaining, which all the smaller topics weave around.
Since they like planning parties I asked why they only have 1 wedding when they could have 4 of them. It could have had 2 of them and 2 of them and 2 of them and then all 3.
Ah, very good question. Now, in generally, I do follow the rule of ‘more is more’, but it is true that sometimes, that is simply not the case. Now, certainly, having four weddings, in theory, would be an exciting endeavour. In practice, however, one does not want to overwhelm their friends and family, and of course, oneself! There are a lot of things to consider. Mundane things like price and securing venues, staff, a proper band. And you would want them to all be different, otherwise you’ve got four very monotonous parties. And then, the guests. No one wants to give four different gifts! But also, I think our relationship is a trinity. We’re the three leaves of the same trefoil. It would have been too much for us to have several separate ceremonies. Besides, I don’t like to feel like either of my loves might be feeling alone or left out. It’s like if you are inviting your friends to a slumber party and you have three best friends but your mother says you can only invite two. You don’t want to leave your other bestie out!”
I’ve never had to do that. If there’s not enough room at my place I just go to my grandparents’ house. They have a bunch of space in the attic and sometimes we sleep in tents or even the barn loft in summer. My one aunt had my grampa do a vow renewal wedding ceremony thing. Pretty sure anyone could do that bit so I mentioned that they could do the 2 person bit but have all 3 of them at the front and have 3 more weddings.
And see, there you go. We didn’t leave anyone out. We did it all together. And vow renewals would be quite nice, a few years down the line. On an anniversary. That’s the other thing. Some of us have enough trouble remembering birthdays and the one anniversary, adding three more into the mix would be a nightmare.
I asked who did most of the decorating since they teach it and stuff. I also asked what it was like since the other Professor Caldwells mentioned gardening machines and there’s electricity at their house.
Well, some of the house is to everyone’s taste, of course. We all need to feel comfortable in our home. So I accommodate that. But I suppose I did quite a bit of the decorating. Primarily upstairs. A few touches downstairs, here and there.
There’s a bit of muggle tech in the house, yes. I am a bit more of a traditionalist in my kitchen and laundry practices though. Those big machines are so loud they put me on edge! I don’t care much for the lawn tools either. I try to be out of the house when he uses those machines. The television is alright, a bit hard on the eyes. Everything goes so fast. I can’t keep up with the stories like they do, so I read the TV Guide so I’m up to speed in our conversations.
At the start of the year there was talk of coasters and Professor Marron Caldwell taking them out from under Professor Finnian Caldwell’s mugs. I asked if they have tried getting other kinds or if their husbands do not like ANY of the coasters you have?
Yes, that’s just the housewife in me. If I don’t complain about them forgetting to use coasters now and then… they might think I’m losing my touch.
Since the question got a laugh I think it’s a joke between the Caldwells. The other two mmmiiiiigggghhhhtttttt be doing it on purpose. I asked them all the same question, so you can see what the other two said in the previous Owl Post interviews.
I also asked about some of the rumours. There’s one about triplets that isn’t true but I also heard there was another Professor Caldwell who would start teaching later in the year.
Well, I’m a bit old and refined to give much clout to school rumours, but that is quite the interesting thing to be spread about. Unless one of Marron’s cousins is coming to the school, which could always be possible, I suppose!
Then, I asked about the rumour of the pirate ship and the bit about them being the cook.
What? A pirate ship? Why not a regular ship? Or a yacht. A yacht might be nice. And why am I the cook? I mean, I do cook. But am I /a cook/? If anything, I am the herald. Is there a herald on a ship?
Then they said something that I didn’t really understand. Maybe it’s a quote from a play or something since they like the theatre a lot?
Hark, I say! Hark, tis land, and we, the Pirates Caldwell have arrived at this humble port. Here, shalt we spend our vast treasure on goods and services one requires to live comfortably on this luxurious yacht!
The full quote from the Owl Post was, “I heard that the three new professors were pirates! The Muggle Studies one is the captain, the Divination one is the first mate and Homemaking magic is the cook. They have a ship hidden in the middle of the lake! And they are here to find the long lost treasure of the four founders!”
I mean, if we’re going on an adventure to find the treasures of the founders, no one has told /me/. But I’m the worst of us when it comes to keeping secrets, so maybe they are and I’m simply uninformed. I will say that I am likely the best cook… though Finnian is quite capable with a grill and Marron can be quite the pastry chef when he wishes to be.
I offered the copy of the Owl Post with that bit of the rumours for them to keep since it was about them.
Oh, no, I’m fine. I’ve been in the society section enough during my life, I know that it would become a bit overwhelming if I kept a copy of something every time I was mentioned in a publication. The interview articles I will keep though. I have to make sure all the mums get one.
We talked about rumours a bit after that.
Well, it’s better than it being a rumour about us being some sort of brigands or dark wizards, which is what the rumour seemed like it was going to be when we got here. Oh, we scared poor Mckay and her friends so bad when we ran into them outside the castle, it was quite embarrassing.
I asked about that bit.
Oh, we just ran into a couple students, is all. Outside of the castle before we were established as being instructors here. There was no foul play, we simply stopped to watch what we thought might be young love for a moment, and apparently we looked quite suspicious. To be fair, I was all batwings and high drama in my traveling clothes. And Finnian has a resting grump face… So I’m not surprised we startled them a little. But all in all, the misunderstanding was cleared up quickly.
The last thing I asked was if they had any specific advice or something that they would like to add that I didn’t ask about.
Don’t hesitate to become who you are, try new things, find what you love… and don’t be afraid to mix patterns and textiles.
That’s the THIRD and PROBABLY final Professor Caldwell. Though you never know. A fourth one might show up after winter break. After doing the interviews, it’s a bit easier to see how they all fit together. They all seem to know not long after what happens in each other’s classes. And they all kind of have similar answers to some of the same questions. That’s even with no time between the interview I did with this Professor Caldwell and other Professor Caldwell back to back.
Pretty sure they didn’t have time to tell each other everything, unless they used those special protean charm notebooks. Maybe they DO use those though? I didn’t think to ask until now. Maybe they just know each other well and talk all the time. Maybe we should see if they are going to the bookshop in Hogsmeade to get more of those notebooks, since they went on sale and stuff. Though, they probably wouldn’t buy them only on Hogsmeade weekends, since the shops have long lines and having them might be a secret and stuff. If they DID use them, they can probably do the spell themselves anyways, since I’ve seen some of the older kids with them BEFORE they started selling them in town.