<div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/19/59/d5/1959d5a89df588d70e329492b8e6ff84.jpg)</div>The question of it not being magic got a smile.  "Entirely possible, and there are plenty of methods of practice outside of the five basics.  Psionic power certainly isn't among these, but if there's a method to kindle and teach such abilities to those who aren't born with innate ability, it hasn't been made clear to me."<br/><br/>The mention of the Bermuda Triangle got a flicker of memory.  "My visit there revealed an exceptional conflagration of ley lines, teeming with magical power in ways that will interfere with technology.  In much the same way as a smartphone might be fried by an electromagnetic pulse, the technology of aeroplanes is quite sensitive and prone to mishaps.  Similarly, freak storms and fierce waves might arise out of practically nothing, which is to what I attribute the various known disappearances.  However, I cannot confirm the claims of a leviathan sleeping at the bottom, nor am I an expert in the area."<br/><br/>With ghosts and dragons, she ultimately said, "None spring to mind, but I accept the possibility that it could be something of which I've never heard.  I've heard of the ferrymen, but few ghosts of the modern day enter their boats, and the rumor that they require drachmas is incorrect.  Nowadays, a single penny, cent, yen, or the like is deducted from the bank account of that individual or that of a relative, and it's misattributed to a rounding error in the software if a banker is questioned."<br/><br/>The conversation gave her a segue she apparently forgot to mention before.  "The reason a Gorgon needs eye contact just as Sorcery does is because the eyes are the windows to the soul.  These five practices are not the only way to work magic, but they're the most basic, the most easily understood, and a necessity for understanding more complex techniques if one seeks to learn a magical ability with which they weren't born.  Even among denizens of other worlds such as the Fair Folk, who can offer bargains for new magical abilities, few will take the bargainer seriously if they cannot summon the denizen in question themselves."<br/><br/>She ended the explanation with, "Although a spontaneous and accidental event is entirely feasible even by a normie, it would take investigation to find out for sure, such as examining the place of death and various circumstances.  For example, water is known as the universal solvent and is best put to this method in alchemy, and most drinks contain a significant amount of it.  It is feasible, if unlikely in the extreme, that an alchemical potion may be formed by pure accident by someone 'spiking the punch,' and that it would then only trigger on an individual who died before the potion passed through their system and out again the conventional way, or that all the right ingredients might mix in someone's stomach."  The professor simply shrugged.  "Chance is a funny thing, and while it's untrue that there are no coincidences, they're certainly rare in the extreme."<br/><br/>After she stopped, the jock raised his hand.  "So, what's the rune for returning a football?"  He wasn't doing a good job of following all this, but only cared about his particular question.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://cdn2.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/40/86/ancient-scandinavian-rune-othala-viking-futhark-vector-27964086.jpg)</div>"Othala," Professor Merryweather said, tracing it out upon the blackboard.  "The literal meaning is 'homeland,' but it also signifies inheritance, the estate, and the like.  The rune effectively marks it as your football, your property, so that it will always return to you."<br/><br/>The jock nodded as he started tracing it out, dexterous enough to get it right the first time but making sure he had it through multiple drawings.<br/><br/>As a few other students started drawing it as well, Professor Merryweather continued, "The specifics of runes will not be on the test; artifice work just as effectively with prayer strips, magic squares, and so on when properly employed and given significance by the one who creates them.  I'm not here to teach you every single possible method in an introductory class."  She smiled with warmth.  "I want you to understand what magical practices can do for you, to incite your desire to learn them, and recognize which is the most effective for any particular spell or ritual one might desire to cast."<br/><br/>Looking about the room, she continued, "If you don't have an answer yet, have one for next time.  I'd much rather teach the specifics of what people seek to know, and then demonstrate how it spreads into general knowledge."  Picking up the pointer, she deliberately missed any of the words as she drawled in a monotone, "We've all had those teachers who just spew lots of boring facts nobody cares about."  Setting it down, she continued, "I'd much rather use a dash of refined nightshade for a sleep potion rather than a few drops of spittle from a boring teacher."<br/><br/>A few students laughed, but the more bookish Billy raised his hand.  "Professor, isn't nightshade poisonous?"<br/><br/>"When unrefined," Professor Merryweather said with a smile.  "Good catch.  Nightshade purchased from any reputable dealer will always be refined to remove any toxic properties for that exact reason."