In this week’s post, Dr. Katherine Villavicencio (University G. d’Annunzio, Italy) looks into the flaws of the academic system that enables abusive supervisors to hold excessive power. In the form of a wizardly tale, she sheds light on the negative experiences of students subjected to the oppressive control of this kind of supervisors. In an alternate universe, the magical world is governed by academia and the powerful Mystic Times journal, where magical research is carefully being monitored and legislated. The Ministry oversees the young witches and wizards aspiring to enter the field of magical science. Discoveries and research are published in the Mystic Times, accessible to everyone, but always with a critical eye on who holds the power to control what information gets out.
During this era, “Dirty Poppy” (Yarrow Poppy, as she was known before) had achieved a few of her goals in magical research. Poppy, whose expertise lay in the depths of Dark Arts, was trying to shift her focus. She aimed to recruit students for her own research group—a “Dunderheads” of young witches and wizards. Although she had no real experience outside her obsession with Dark Arts, Poppy was eager to explore the more “surface-level” magic—areas of magic that were more accessible to the public. However, she lacked the knowledge and understanding to truly supervise these research efforts.
Behind her seemingly noble intentions, Poppy had a hidden agenda: to create powerful competitors for the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries, a prestigious academic competition celebrating the best research in the magical world. Each year, the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries honors the witch or wizard who publishes the most groundbreaking research during the academic year. Winning the tournament meant a career of success in the magical world of Academia. Heads of various magical departments at the prestigious school are in charge of mentoring their students for this event. Among them were Mucuna Ashwagandha of Comfrey House, Calendula Rue of Motherwort House, Cordyceps Tulsi of Horsetail House, and Yarrow Poppy of Bobinsana House.
Figure 2. Heads of the Magic Houses: Mucuna Ashwagandha of Comfrey House, Calendula Rue of Motherwort House, Cordyceps Tulsi of Horsetail House, and Yarrow Poppy of Bobinsana House. Three of them hold in their hands the plant representative of the name of their houses. Yarrow Poppy was not a big fan of showing out the elements of her house. Figures generated by PromeAI.
While the heads of Comfrey, Motherwort, and Horsetail houses were content to foster a peaceful, supportive environment for their students’ research, Yarrow Poppy stood out for her toxic and authoritarian approach. She considered herself the undisputed master of magic, convinced that her knowledge was beyond compare. In her eyes, the research of everyone else—students and colleagues alike—was merely an inferior attempt at the greatness she had already attained. She refused to allow her students to attend international magical conferences, and she rejected any research methods that didn’t align with her narrow views.
Poppy’s arrogance made her a nightmare for her students. She was quick to yell at anyone who dared to question her methods. She believed the only path to greatness lay in her own approach to research, and she was determined to suppress any alternative viewpoints. Her misogyny and overbearing need to control her students made her a terrible mentor. Many students were frustrated with her constant demands and lack of respect for their ideas.
One of the students Poppy recruited was a young witch who, unlike the others, openly challenged her authoritarian methods and refused to follow her oppressive guidance. This young witch became a target for Poppy’s vindictive behavior. Poppy, using her Grim Disciples, actively sabotaged the young witch’s research, tampering with the work to ensure it would be discredited. The young witch, realizing what was happening, appealed to the school authorities, hoping for intervention. However, due to Poppy’s influence over the academic staff and her deep connections within the dark magical community of Grim Disciples, the authorities dismissed the complaint, turning a blind eye to the sabotage.
Most of her students, despite being aware of her failures and frustrations, never dared to openly challenge Poppy’s authority. However, even those who remained loyal behind the scenes began to privately refer to her as “Dirty Poppy”. They disliked working under her guidance and often complained about how unpleasant it was to be in her presence. They were tired of doing menial tasks unrelated to their actual research. However, they knew they had no choice but to endure this discomfort and work with her if they wanted to have any chance at entering the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries competition.
Despite that, the competition for the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries raged on. Poppy, obsessed with winning, used all her connections within the academic magic world to force the publication of fabricated results in the Mystic Times. The magic research community was outraged, but Poppy’s influence, bolstered by her Grim Disciples, was enough to get the fake results through. As a result, Bobinsana House “won” the competition, but the triumph was hollow, as many seasoned witch and wizard researchers knew the publication was a sham.
Figure 3. Dirty Poppy holding the Cup of the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries competition. Image generated by OpenArt.
Even as complaints about the false research spread, Poppy’s position seemed untouchable. Some of her former students left the “Dunderheads” in search of more ethical mentors, but others remained, unwilling to challenge her authority. However, as time passed, cracks began to form in her carefully constructed Dunderheads research group. Her peers in the academic magic world were starting to question her methods, and her reputation was tarnished.
In the end, the victory in the Research Tournament of Arcane Mysteries was short-lived. Although Yarrow Poppy manipulated the system to secure her house’s win, the truth behind her victory would eventually be revealed. As the world of magical research continued to be dominated by figures like Poppy—who treated magic as a business to further their own reputation and manipulate research for personal gain—there were still some students who found hope in the few remaining true mentors, dedicated to the integrity of magical discoveries.
The world of magic would continue to move forward, but Yarrow Poppy would remain a cautionary tale: a reminder that power, arrogance, and manipulation could only sustain an illusion for so long. No matter how many followers she managed to recruit or how many fake publications she pushed through, the so-called loyalty she demanded was nothing more than fear and submission. Everyone knew that Dirty Poppy would never be revered or respected as a true witch.
Before embarking on any research or joining a research group, students should take the time to thoroughly investigate the type of supervisor they will be working with. Understanding the power dynamics, values, and ethics of a mentor can make all the difference between a rewarding academic experience and one dominated by manipulation and control. Choosing a mentor wisely is not only crucial for academic success, but also for personal and professional well-being in the magical research world.
