Stacks of journals, logbooks, notebooks, scrolls, parchments and papyri covered Professor Vance’s desk and every other horizontal surface in his office. A three-dimensional magical replica of an ancient stone wall blanketed one entire side of the room. The paint on the hieroglyphics was as garishly bright as the day it was applied. Standing in a tiny oasis of uncluttered space, the History of Magic professor studied a section of the wall and then returned his gaze to the notebook in his hand. “How on earth do they think I’m going to be able to figure this out from 2,600 miles away? And in my spare time, nonetheless!” Gummy Vance shook his head as he tucked the notebook into the pocket of his robes and carefully made his way to his office door.
The chit chat in the hallways was a welcome distraction. His brain was beginning to feel weighed down from the enigmatic, arcane puzzle he’d been tasked with by the Sheta Sesh. “I should never have taken the message from that ibis’ leg,” he grumbled under his breath. The Sheta Sesh were trouble. He ought to know. He’d worked for them for twenty years.
“But I’m a teacher now!” The exclamation came out louder than he had intended and drew startled expressions from a group of students nearby. Gummy smiled awkwardly. “And I’m loving every minute of it. Can’t wait to get you lot in one of my classes.” Thankfully, he was almost at his classroom and he ducked inside before he embarrassed himself further.
After the last of the students had arrived, Gummy shut the door and executed a rather complex sweep and swivel with his wand. The door transformed into tan stone. The lower half of the stone boasted a carving of a squat, broad, bow-legged man wearing the skin of a lion, complete with a tail hanging down behind him. The man’s oval, bearded face had prominent ears on either side, and his tongue was sticking out in a comical fashion.
“This is Bes. He looks a bit different from the other Ancient Egyptians we’ve studied so far, doesn’t he? Daffyd, what do you think?”
The lanky, dark-haired boy at the front of the room pushed his glasses up slightly and began a thoughtful assessment of the image of Bes. “There are a number of differences. The other Egyptians were tall, thin and graceful looking. This guy is short and a little goofy looking, but kind of tough at the same time. And you can see both his ears. I mean, he’s not in profile, so you can see that his ears stick out.” After a moment’s pause, Daffyd exclaimed, “Oh, and not even a partial human to animal transfiguration!”
“Very good!" Professor Vance nodded with satisfaction. "Bes, as it happens, was half-goblin and half-wizard. He was a skilled warrior with or without his wand. Search Egypt all you want, but you won’t find any temples dedicated to him. You see, he was never really accepted by the Ancient Egyptian wizarding elite, but over time, he became a favorite of the common people, Muggles and magical alike. Why? Because he was strong, brave and had a very good heart."
Gummy looked down at the image of Bes he had conjured over the classroom door. With a clear note of affection in his voice, the professor continued, "Bes was jolly and always ready with a joke to keep people laughing – especially children. It was said that when a baby gurgled and smiled for no apparent reason, it was because Bes was there making faces to entertain him. Images of him can be found on carvings in birthing houses, because who wouldn’t want someone like Bes around to keep their new baby safe and giggling happily?
“Muggle soldiers were fans of Bes, too. They drank beer from tankards shaped like Bes before a battle for luck and to gain some of Bes’ fighting prowess and protection.” Gummy stopped the lecture to wait for the students to catch up on their note taking. As he was about to begin again, a blonde witch who invariably sat by the window raised her hand. “Yes, Gloria?”
“So, you said before that all the witches and wizards were picking sides. Which side did Bes fight on? Did he fight for Horus or Seth?” she asked.
“Don’t be dense, Gloria,” the freckled boy behind her scoffed. “Bes obviously fought for Horus.”
“Unnecessarily rude though Samuel was, he is correct. I may not give out many House points, young man, but if you speak like that again in my class, I’ll be sure to take some points away.” Turning away from Samuel who was now glowing red with embarrassment, Gummy finished up the lesson. “Bes did indeed fight on the side of Horus. Bes was well known for standing up to injustice, cruelty, and other atrocities.
"Bes could be considered the personification of the divide in Ancient Egyptian magical society. There are no temples to Bes and he's always depicted head-on and looking goofy. Not really a surprise, because although he was beloved of the common people, he was most certainly not loved by the elitist, power-loving witches and wizards. So you can see, the divide been the Muggle and magical, between common and elite, had grown quite large indeed before the war that began as we discussed in the last lesson."
With a smooth gliding motion of his wand, the professor wiped away the image of Bes, revealing the classroom door once again. “Once again, homework assignments are on the corner of my desk. Please pick one up on your way out. Owl me if you have any questions. I’m in the middle of a rather complicated project, but I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
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