Another Day,
Another Transfiguration Class
Author: Nora
Date: 12-24-03 13:25
Nora slowly walks in about 20 minutes late to her second transfiguration class, slumping down in her seat she leans back and folds her arms behind her head.
"Good morning Professor McGonagall... or should I call you Professor McG." She smirked and waited for her 'favorite' professor's reaction, laughing at her fellow housemates stunned looks.
Thursday
Morning
Author: Hermione Granger
Date: 12-24-03 22:05
On Thursday morning, Hermione and Majandra awoke early while their other roommates slept soundly. Both girls, Harry, Ron and some of their other Gryffindor classmates had Muggle Studies at nine o'clock with the new instructor, Professor Miller. Many of the students were starting to believe that Muggle Studies was as cursed as Defense Against the Dark Arts. Hogwarts had gone through three Muggle Studies professors in the last two years.
After breakfast, the NEWT students met Professor Miller. Some, like Ron, already knew him or at least had heard much about him. Aaron Miller had kindly taken Bill Weasley into his home after a strange accident occurred in Muggle London around Christmas time nearly two years ago, in which Bill had been hit with a memory charm. Muggle doctors and Aaron himself thought Bill had amnesia. Professor Miller and Bill became good friends during the eldest Weasley's stint as a Muggle, and have remained friends to this day.
After Muggle Studies, Hermione and Majandra and Harry and Ron parted ways, the former two heading for Ancient Runes with Professor Sorcha. They found their instructor a little more upbeat than usual. She smiled as she explained the coursework for the new year, impressing the importance of staying with the readings and preparing for the end of the year NEWT exams in a punctual manner. She also indicated to a sign-up sheet posted to her door for additional, individual student-teacher meetings.
Class formalities took most of the time, leaving less than half of the remaining time to review previous Runes coursework as well as to briefly introduce what to expect this coming year. Then class ended and Hermione and Majandra left the classroom, with Hermione pausing at the door to add her name to the sign-up sheet.
"What do you think those boys have been up to since leaving Muggle Studies?" Hermione asked, as she and Majandra made their way through the crowded corridor.
"Playing chess or talking about Quidditch, probably," Majandra replied, grinning.
"No doubt!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly. They could try and not procrastinate for one minute and pick up a book now instead of later. It would only do them good! No harm would come from it."
"This is Harry and Ron we're talking about, though I think I did catch Harry reading his Potions book the other day."
"Well, that's a start! Now if we can only influence Ron to try his hardest this year." Hermione looked thoughtful for a minute. "Can you believe it? This is it. Our last year at Hogwarts..."
A Rough Read
Author: Albus Dumbledore
Date: 12-25-03 16:51
As with yesterday, Nevvyn and I spent much of the day working on the manuscript. I must admire the man's knack with the language and the runes. Many of the passages seemed totally meaningless to me. However, he was able to unravel the knots and make sense of the rather strange turns of phrase. One section which I would have taken as a madman's ramblings was, instead, a carefully constructed shielding charm. Without this, the spell following it would have been devastating to the caster.
Severus came by last evening, and we spent some time going over the translations and proposed revisions. He was much impressed with our progress. I showed him those passages relating to potions and he spent some time studying them for possible changes. He also looked at the binding thread, and judged it to be a fine grade of flaxen cordage with some sort of spell against deterioration. He took several small snippets to test in his laboratory, just for confirmation.
Severus also brought a shopping list of ingredients which we would need for the ink. He asked that I give this to Nevvyn (which I did) to see if he could obtain some of the special dragon blood, and a few other things. He also pointed out another interesting item. It seems that Magnus had a peculiar manner of sharpening his quills which causes the right-hand side of the letters to be somewhat darker or heavier than the left. We would have to do some experimentation to get the same effect.
All-in-all, it has been a productive two days. Severus will come up after supper, and we will review todays efforts. With any luck, we should be ready to start writing by early next week. For now, my eyes are tired and my stomach is telling me it is near time for supper.
Witch in Training
Author: Mallory
Date: 12-25-03 18:49
Professor McGonagall stood at the front of the classroom and lectured, occasionally drawing a diagram on the blackboard or performing a simple transfiguration with clear pronunciation of the magic words and a flick of her wand. I watched with amazement as a beetle turned into a button and then reverted to its legged form once more.
This was day two of Transfiguration class and day three of classes in general. I still felt like a deer in the headlights most of the time, very unsure of my own capabilities as a witch in training. An older student assured me it would get easier with each passing day, but I simply can't imagine ever getting used to magic.
Still, I seem to be doing okay in my classes. I'm no whiz kid but I'm learning, slowly but surely.
Already today I've been busy with Defense Against the Dark Arts class and Herbology. Herbology seems easy as it's more memorization than anything else, but Defense Against the Dark Arts is definitely more intensive. It's also very interesting and I look forward to more of Professor Turin's classes. Transfiguration is difficult but with practice I should do all right.
Dunsidhe,
Ireland: Hidden Messages
Author: Dierna ní Cíaran
Date: 12-25-03 19:10
I'd spent the day trying to get Umbridge to leave me alone to do my work. She keeps asking to see confidential papers, which (since it's confidential) I refuse. She thinks, no doubt, that I've some hidden matter relating to the supposed "Dumbledore's Army" plot. Personally, I think it's a brilliant idea. Get fudge out, make the Olamh MOM. He, of course, will never agree. And the conspiracy is, of course, fictitious. But you'd never convince toad-woman of that.
So I'd ended up staying late to get caught up then immediately apparated to Dunsidhe. Here I am now, reading though my mother's tomes and scrolls looking for some clue about the cave or related magic.
I have no idea how long I'd been staring at the books, the candle is nearly down to the holder and Seamus and Padraig has long since retired for the night. I'm reading my first Irish manuscript, a gift from my mother after I made auror school. The words on the page are beginning to blur when, quite suddenly, several jump out at me- like in those muggle holograph books. I close my eyes and look again, but the image is gone. Several pages, I see the inscription again. The mystery deepens when I try to scribble the words down on a parchment only to have it burst into flames.
cen seo gceist?*
* what does it mean?
History of
Magic Class
Author: Roane Eternal
Date: 12-26-03 20:28
I sat at my desk, waiting for the class to begin. I was really looking forward to this one - being a big fan of History and all. As I watched the other students make their way into the classroom, I smoothed out my blank parchment and took a brand new quill out of my bag.
Hearing a *thump* behind me, I turned around and saw poor Sora gathering up his books (he must have tripped or something). I stood up.
"Want some help?" I bent down and started to gather up Sora's quills that had scattered across the floor.
Quiet in
Hospital
Author: Madame Pomfrey
Date: 12-26-03 22:00
Thank goodness things had been quiet so far...there were years when injuries started from the first day of school. But luckily there were few other that bumps and bruises following a run in with the moving stairs or a few when the newer students fell off their brooms during class. It seemed though that once the exciting Quidditch Matches started it could get busier. Who could tell what this year might bring...
Handsome Professors
Author: Bronwyn Dewhurst
Date: 12-27-03 15:52
On Friday after lunch, Bronwyn and Desdemona went to Transfiguration class. Desi had only just risen from bed an hour or so before class as Transfiguration was her first of the day but Bronwyn had already been quite busy with Defense Against the Dark Arts with the very charming Professor Turin and Potions with the very NOT charming Professor Snape.
"You're really missing out," Bronwyn was saying, as she and Desi climbed the great marble staircase to the first floor of the castle. "Professor Turin is a great teacher and good looking to boot. Not as hot as Professor Somerset, though. I wonder what happened to him. I miss him."
"He wasn't very nice to us before he left, remember?"
Bronwyn shrugged. "He was just a little grumpy, is all. Maybe that's why he left. Anyway, he was nice when he first showed up at Hogwarts. And hot. Did I mention that already?" She sighed dreamily, took a quick breath and said, "And boy, did you ever miss out yesterday. You have got to get you schedule changed and sign up for Muggle Studies. Professor Miller is hot! But not as hot as Professor Somerset."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you had a thing for our old professor," Desi teased.
"Well, yeah!" Bronwyn rolled her eyes as if finding it very hard to believe that Desi would question her taste in men.
"What did you boyfriend say about that?"
Bronwyn sobered only briefly and then grinned. "Oh, he teased me all the time about it, and he's not my boyfriend anymore." She ended that sentence on a saddened note, but found cheer again when she said, "The Daily Prophet had Puddlemere U's Quidditch schedule. They're playing Brisbane in November."
"Home or away?"
"Away, of course. Not that I could attend anyway. I bet Toby is excited though." Bronwyn gestured to the door of the Transfiguration classroom. "Well, here we are. NEWTs with Professor McGonagall."
Deep in
the Night...
Author: The Black Shadow
Date: 12-28-03 01:41
Deep in the night... Hogwarts is still and quiet... Sleeping... The moon is bright and casts a silvery halo across the empty grounds... A gentle breeze blows from the lake below, reminiscent of the warm summer months, now gone. All is peaceful.
Or so it is believed.
It starts slowly. The sound of a deep, rushing wind is carried on the early fall breeze. It begins to become more audible with each repeating beat. Rhythmical... Deep... As though the very winds themselves are being forced to bend beyond their will.
The sound comes from above the castle... And then from the side... It circles the highest spire of the Hogwarts Castle. Then, from far below, on the grounds before the ancient building, a heavy weight comes to rest. With a resonating thud, the Blackness sends a quake though the ground, up through the rock walls, into every room, every hall.
But as suddenly as the shaking begins, all is still once again. Before any eyes can be cast upon the ground where it stands, it melds into the darkness, into the shadows, leaving only a deep imprint in the earth where its heavy weight pressed the grass flat, embossing an odd shape deep into the cool soil.
A memory is sparked. Something from the past... An anger? A loneliness? Only a Black Shadow now remains...
Even on an
International Scale...
Author: John 1st Duke of Marlborough
Date: 12-28-03 03:13
John, after his brief detour to fair, hot Cuba and the rather straight-to-the matter engagement to Professor Belladonna Sinistra had planned to leave again, not being very well at ease in his damp, crowded office at the MoM HQ in Central London underground.
But then the holler reached him about all the bizarre, weird things happening, not only on the Isles but furthermore - and this is where his expertise or rather the departments where he was posted came into question - on an international scale! And yet the MoM struggled with its ceaseless piles of memos to try to clarify the mysterious outburst of "contraptional rage and violence" against the poor defenceless muggle population.
Obviously he'd be firmly stuck there with the rest of the co-workers instead of flying off to see fair Belladonna.
Ahhh...being a Ravenclaw meant you were on the edge, sort of, but always on the top of things. No less was expected from this house! So, with a rather despondent sigh he shut the map closed and brought it and other maps with him and went to see Mr Weasley.
Somehow this strange phenomenon had to cease unless it was going completely haywire...
Jewels in
the Hourglass
Author: Mary
Date: 12-28-03 12:11
Mary, Crispin and Nora were hurrying from charms to potions that hot, bright Monday morning.
"At least we don't have transfiguration." Crispin said, "the walk would be even longer and we would have to run."
Nora snickered.
"It isn't wise to wage war on Professor McGonagall." Mary said solemnly, if you lose too many points for Slytherin, everyone will hate you." She cast a meaningful look at Crispin.
"Yeah, there's this seventh year-" He began "Another flower girl, there's a lot here." Mary chimed in, "Pansy Parkinson, the prefect, who lost a lot of points at once for some stunt against a Gryffindor, I think. It was before we came here, so awhile ago. Anyway, they all still hate her. A lot. She has no friends." Crispin finished and looked at Nora, who shrugged.
"Whatever. Bring it on." She said.
Mary rolled her eyes. "I'll hate you too if Slytherin loses the house cup. It'll be officially your fault, understand?"
Another Monday
Author: Orieliah McCoi
Date: 12-28-03 14:08
Orie sat reading through over her History of Magic essay, eyes scanning quickly, she hardly noticed that someone had come up behind her, let alone the tap on her shoulder.
"Orie? Earth to Orie..." Came the voice of Jared another second year Gryffindor.
Orie blushed lightly and laughed. "Hey Jared, sorry about that." She rolled up the essay and put it back in her bag. "Are you going to be around for Quidditch tryouts in a couple of days?" Orie asked, a little nervous about trying out, but she had a feeling things would go well.
Jared and Orie chatted for a little while, and were joined shortly there after by Brett. "Hey Brett, this is Jared. Jared this is Brett." Orie made short of the introductions and took another sip of her pumpkin juice.
The three chatted for a while before Brett excused himself telling Orie he'd see her later. "So Jared, what are you up to for the rest of the day?"
Transfigurations
Author: Tranquillina Aemilius
Date: 12-28-03 18:22
Tranquillina strolled to class, cracking her neck. She hadn't gotten much sleep the night before...She'd had some awfully odd dreams...
She opened the door to the classroom. She poked her head in, and saw she was relatively early. She walked in, nearly killed herself when she overlooked a ledge by the door, then took her seat after quickly composing herself.
She turned her head as the door opened again. She smiled at Sora and Roane, who walked in just then.
"Hallo, guys," she smiled broadly.
"You look run-down..." Roane commented.
Tranquillina smirked. "If you had the dreams I did last night, you'd be quite tired as well."
Roane looked at her oddly, but had to be content with such the cryptic answer as class was beginning....
Preparing
for Quidditch
Author: Madame Pomfrey
Date: 12-28-03 21:40
Madame Pomfrey knew that the coming days would be busy...Quidditch Teams were being put together and tryouts were scheduled...there were always minor injuries to take care of at this time and definitely a few major ones too. She rechecked all her potions...met with the staff a gave orders to be ready and waiting for the emergencies that might arise...feeling satisfied with arrangements she decided to take a well-deserved rest. But only for a minute or so...she didn't like not being busy with something.
