Amethyst's Hogwarts Adventure

I got my kit!

2010-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

I got home from visiting my friends and family back in NY, and found Mystry's owl Twitchee wating for me on my porch. Inside were a bunch of parcels wrapped in Ravenclaw bronze and blue, very pretty. (I forgot to take a picture after unwrapping the ones in white paper, but they had the bronze paper, too. They just needed a little extra padding.)

I got some warm cozy mitts in Ravenclaw blue and silver (and haven't taken them off since!) The ruffle is so pretty!

Here's the whole kit.

A beautiful coffee mug that will be going to work with me for my use-it-every-day-all-day mug. A skein of Araucania Itata yarn, which is a blend of super-wash wool, silk and bamboo. It's totally yummy, and in my all-time favorite colorway of blue and purple. A box of See's candy. I squeed when I saw it, because I haven't had See's in forever. Yes, I've eaten some of it. A small and clever tool box with lots of compartments. A snitch kit, with snitch and a sticker book with house emblems. A set of owl salt and pepper shakers. A soft handled crochet hook, which I'm desperate for. 2 very cool post cards from California. And a copy of Handwoven magazine, which I will be slowly savoring this evening.

Here's a close-up of the snitch, and the tool box opened up:

The owl salt and pepper shakers:

Yarn

Tomorrow is the big day!

2010-11-20T17:38:00.000-08:00

I'm going to see the movie! I'm going to see the movie! In Imax! Tomorrow morning! Yay. I've been reading the books and watching the movies all week. I'm watching The Half-Blood Prince right now, and will be all set. Time to get out the radish earrings.

Oh, yeah, my kit is finished, and going out in the mail on Monday. Yay! :-)

Week 9 pop quiz

2010-11-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

1. To which prison was Gellert Grindelwald sent after he was defeated by Dumbledore in 1945? Nurmengard
2. Who is the first casualty in The Deathly Hallows? Hedwig
3. What does Draco Malfoy name his son? Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy
4. Before Harry gains control of it, who is the master of the Elder Wand? Draco
5. Severus Snape’s Patronus takes the same form as which other character’s? Lily Evans Potter
6. Where do Ron, Hermione and Harry apparate when Death Eaters invade Bill and Fleur’s wedding? Tottenham Court Road
7. Who does Harry send to search for Mundungus Fletcher and the missing locket? Kreacher
8. Who destroys Salazar Slytherin’s locket? Ron Weasley
9. What does Hermione use to destroy Helga Hufflepuff’s cup? A basilisk fang
10. Following the death of Lord Voldemort, who is named temporary Minister of Magic? Kingsley Shacklebolt

Anagrams

2010-11-06T17:45:00.000-07:00

Holy cow this was hard. It took me all week to finish!

1 SPARSE VENUES Severus Snape
2 GO UNLOAD LOVE Luna Lovegood
3 A MOTH SEDAN Dean Thomas
4 FLUSH CIGAR Argus Filch
5 SLICK AIRBUS Sirius Black
6 DUMB ANALOG Ludo Bagman
7 A DRY MOO-CALF Draco Malfoy
8 UNSNAP THE SKI Stan Shunpike
9 PIT-A-PAT RIVAL Parvati Patil
10 AN OLD JEER Lee Jordan

Blah. Just blah.

2010-10-30T19:26:00.000-07:00

I have had the wonderful luck of coming down with a Muggle disease called shingles. It hurts and itches and it's driving me crazy. Madam Pomfrey said that since it isn't a magical malady, none of her cures will work, so I just have to wait it out. Luckily I was already planning to have next week off work, to paint and set up my weaving studio. Hopefully if I pace myself, I'll be able to finish, or come close, and still feel enough better to go back to work. On the plus side, if I have to spend a lot of time resting, that means a lot of knitting time.

Rhinebeck

2010-10-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

Rhinebeck was awesome fun, but was a bit of a bust for yarn for Lizzie's kit. So I'll default to plan B, ordering it online. But I have found something so seriously awesome for Lizzie's kit, and I found it by accident. I will post it on the family blog, though :-) Ok, shortie post this week, because I worked crazy hours this week, and spent today visiting with cousins.

Week 5, matching

2010-10-13T15:52:00.000-07:00

Instructions: Please match up the wand (wood and core have been listed) with its owner. Each wand/ name of owner will be used once. Please use the web, books, each other for answers. Post answers to your blog for this week’s activity.

1. Vine wood and Dragon Heartstring: i) Hermione Granger
2. Walnut and Dragon Heartstring: k) Belatrix Lestrange, then Hermione who got it when Dobby rescued her and the others from Malfoy Manor
3. Hawthorn and Unicorn tail hair m) Draco Malfoy
4. Hornbeam and Dragon Heartstring d) Viktor Krum
5. Ash and Unicorn hair g) Cedric Diggory . Also, a) Ron Weasley’s first wand, which was a hand-me-down from his brother Charlie
6. Rosewood and Veela Hair l) Fleur Delacour
7. Elder and Thestral Hair b) Albus Dumbledor, then Tom Riddle
8. Mahogany and an unknown core j) James Potter
9. Elm and Dragon Heartstring e) Lucius Malfoy
10. Cherry and Unicorn hair c) Mary Cattermole
11. Yew and Phoenix Feather h) Tom Riddle
12. Holly and Phoenix Feather f) Harry Potter
13. Willow and Unicorn Hair a) Ron Weasley’s second wand

This one wasn't in the original list, but since it was used by 2 of the major characters, I thought I'd add it in :-) Chestnut and Dragon Heartstring: Peter Pettigrew, until Ron took it from him at Malfoy Manor.

Week 4 homework questions

2010-10-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

1. Why does Harry accuse Remus Lupin of being a coward? For leaving Tonks alone while she was pregnant.
2. Who is R.A.B.? Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius’s brother
3. According to legend, what would a person become if he could assemble the Deathly Hallows? The Master of Death
4. What is Ariana Dumbledore rumored to be? A squib
5. What is written on Harry’s parents’ gravestone? “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
6. Why does Krum want to fight Xenophilius Lovegood? Xenophilius was wearing the mark of the Deathly Hallows, recognized by Victor as the mark of Grindelwald, who had killed Krum’s grandfather.
7. Why does Voldemort seek the Elder Wand? He thinks it would make him undefeatable.
8. Where did Dumbledore’s family live? Godric’s Hollow
9. Whose eye does Harry see in his magic mirror shard? Aberforth Dumbledore
10. What item does Harry steal from Gringotts? Helga Hufflepuff’s cup
11. Where does Rita Skeeter get her information about Dumbledore? She gives veritaserum to Bathilda Bagshot.
12. What is inside the Snitch that Dumbledore leaves Harry? The Resurrection Stone
13. Why does Dumbledore leave Ron a Deluminator? It would guide Ron back to Harry and Hermione.
14. Why has Hermione not read The Tales of Beedle the Bard? She grew up in a Muggle home, and it was a kids book in wizarding homes.
15. What is Dumbledore’s greatest regret? His relationship with Grindelwald
16. Whose mail did Snape open? Petunia Evans Dursley, Lily’s sister.
17. What form does Snape’s Patronus take? A doe
18. Why can the Sword of Gryffindor destroy Horcruxes? It’s goblin-made
19. What name is given to wizards who help Mudbloods? Blood traitors
20. How do Harry and his friends enter the Ministry of Magic? Using polyjuice potion to create disguises, they enter through the phone booth visitor’s entrance.
21. Who made Harry’s wand? Mr. Ollivander

Week 3 - Word association

2010-10-03T07:36:00.000-07:00

Slightly late, but here it is:

1. Pumpkin – juice
2. Owl - post
3. Leaf -fall
4. Weasley - Ron
5. Quaffle - ball
6. Hallow - Deathly
7. Mad - eye
8. Dragon - breath
9. Crystal - ball
10. Trees – Ents (Sorry, wrong books.)
11. Hermione - granger
12. Hogwarts -school
13. Burrow -Weasleys
14. Dobby –house elf
15. Horcrux – Harry
16. Ministry – of Magic
17. Magic - wand
18. Sirius -godfather
19. Apple -pie
20. Juice -orange
21. Candle -light
22. Ghost -white
23. Snake -Nagini
24. Wand -magic
25. Invisibility -cloak
26. Tent - camping
27. Spell -book
28. Umbridge -meanie
29. Dursley -cousin
30. Prophet -daily

5 things to take camping

2010-09-25T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, 5 things I can't live without.

1. My Kindle. There is no way I can spend any time at all without something to read, and my Kindle means I can have plenty of reading material with me, without much weight or bulk.

2. A knitting or crochet project. Something small, like a sock. Preferably something that has a pattern that's pretty simple to remember, so I can work by fire light.

3. Chocolate. Seriously, there's just no point in going camping if there aren't going to be smores.

4. Air mattress or pad. I'm just not as young as I used to be, and sleeping on the ground isn't fun anymore.

5. My camera. I actually have 2, not including the one in my phone. I've got a serious digital SLR Nikon with several lenses, and then I've got a smaller Nikon Coolpix. The Coolpix is more practical for taking places, because it's so small, but I really like taking pictures, and get better results with the big camera. Sometimes when I go somewhere, I bring the camera bag instead of a purse (Hmm, maybe I need to bling out my camera bag a little bit.)

Week one homework

2010-09-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

1. Someone with the same crafts as me: Hermione Bagnold does a lot of the same crafts: knit, crochet, beads, cross-stitch. She doesn’t mention weaving, but there aren’t that many of us weavers around.

2. Someone born in the same month as me: Bella Shacklebolt and Manticora Crimson

3. Someone from a different country: Emma Wigsworthy

4. A new HSKS family member: Caradoc Brocklehurst is here for the first time. Hopefully it won’t be his last time!

5. Someone who has been in 3 or more HSKS swaps: Andromeda Finch-Fletchley. She’s been here since HSKS3!

6. Someone who has a bigger stash than me: I’ve only got 6 things stashed right now, so just about everyone’s stash is bigger than mine. Cassandra Crimsonchin has 55 things stashed, so she’s definitely got me beat.

7. Someone who both knits and crochets: Celestina Pettigrew

8. Someone with the same favorite color as me: Poppy Pluot loves purple so much, she used it as the background of her blog!

9. Someone who has the same favorite season/holiday as me: Ambyr Phoenixfire loves fall, like I do.

10. Someone who has the same favorite fiber as me: I haven’t found anyone who said the exact same thing as me, which is a blend of wool with either bamboo or tencel. But Lizzie Wychwood said that wool is her favorite, so that’s as close as I’m going to get.

A little bit about me

2010-09-18T18:57:00.000-07:00

What crafts do I do? Weave, knit, crochet, cross stitch, bead, a little bit of embroidery, and a little bit of sewing. I'll really try my hand at anything.

I was born in June.

I’m fron the US.

This is my 6th HSKS swap.

I don’t know how big my stash is. Most of it isn’t up in Rav, and it’s mostly still packed up from my move. Most of it is weaving yarn, though.

I do knit and crochet.

My favorite color is purple, but I also really like blues, teals and greens, basically cool soothing colors. Of coures, I like fall colors in their place, too, so I guess there really aren't that many colors I don't like.

My favorite season is fall, hands down. I love the leaves changing, and when the air gets crisp and cool. I love getting ready for fall and winter holidays. My favorite holiday is, well, I’m really not sure. I love Halloween. I love dressing up (and we are encouraged to wear costumes to work!) I love decorating, and I love handing out candy to the kids. But I also love Chanukah, too. I love seeing my family. I love shopping for presents, and wrapping them, and seeing people’s faces when they open them. I love lighting the menorah, and making latkes (potato pancakes). And I decorate for Chanukah, too.

My favorite fiber is another tough one. For weaving, I really love working with perle cotton. It makes a great warp, comes in a gazillion wonderful colors, different sizes, it’s just really versatile. For knitting, I really like working with wool and bamboo or tencel. They’re warm, soft and drapey.

I got my kit!

2010-08-17T19:48:00.000-07:00

As usual, I get so caught up in sending out a kit, I tend to forget I'll be getting one! So it's always a lovely surprise to come home to a package from Quietus. And this one was lovely right from the start! Waiting on my screen porch was an owl with an ivy wrapped package.

Inside were many bundles wrapped in pretty green tissue paper, along with a pattern to knit a leafy, lacy scarf called Branching out.

There was a pretty little tin covered with leaves, that held stitch markers, row counters and a padded grip for crochet hooks. I've only just recently started crocheting, and don't have many tools for it yet, so the padding will definitely come in handy. The stitch markers have pretty leaves on the, so Quietus is really rocking the nature theme with this kit. There's an exploding frog soap, which is peppermint soap on the outside (yum! so refreshing!) and a cherry bath bomb inside. How fun is that?

I also got a Windmill bag, which is a pattern I love. I've done it before for someone else, but somehow never got around to making one for myself. And now I don't have to!

I got some great yarn, one ball of SWTC Terra, that's 50/50 bamboo and cotton, and 2 balls of Patons Angora Bamboo, which is a blend of bamboo, angora and wool. To top all that off, I got some of my absolute favorite chocolate treats, Ghirardelli squares, and a bar of Lindt dark chocolate. I'm keeping that in the freezer so that I eat it nice and slowly. Quietus even remembered my kitties, and sent catnip mice, which got 2 enthusiastic paws up.

Here's the whole kit and caboodle:

Pepper enjoying a hit of the 'nip:

And Rascal partaking as well:

Daisy is on her way

2010-08-14T18:33:00.000-07:00

My owl Daisy is on her way to Celestina Pettigrew. It's a long flight for her, and I sort of overloaded her, so it's going to take a week or so for her to get out there. I hope she enjoys the trip! Next kit, I have to try to get lighter stuff! I had a lot of fun making the _____ for the kit. I was wondering how I was going to ship appropriate picnic food without having to worry about it melting. So I was very happy to find ____ flavored ____ ____, and ___ ____ flavored _____ _____. But my best find was the set of ______, _____, and _____. I liked them so much, I bought some for myself!

Down to the home stretch

2010-08-07T20:25:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be working like crazy to get my spoilee's hand-made item done for Friday. I've picked up some great little items that fit my theme, so I'm pretty happy with that. I've just got to finish my stitching, and do a little bit more shopping. It will be tight, but I'm confident I'll be done on time. Then I get to start planning my trip to Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Yay!

Scavenger Hunt, Etsy style, part 1

2010-07-31T17:01:00.000-07:00

Campfire

Pine Cone

Bowtruckle

Candle

Scavenger Hunt, part 2

2010-07-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

Muggle Trash

Water Balloon

Edible plant

Creature that lives in the lake

Scavenger hunt, part 3

2010-07-31T16:19:00.000-07:00

Feather

Yarn

Hogwarts Pride

Bathing Suit

I got Wingo!

2010-07-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Straight across the second row:

W: Catriona has seen every HP movie in the theater.

I: Emma Gorodok dyes her own yarn.

N: Lexie Lovegood is a HSKS newbie.

G: Genevra has 3 siblings, plus some step-siblings.

O: Hermione has way more things in her queue. 621 to my 50!

Wingo

2010-07-21T19:23:00.001-07:00

In the interest of helping out my fellow campers, I've got some info about me :-)

I worked at a YMCA camp in Western NY for 5 years.

I've been on the train a bunch of times. I like riding trains. My longest trip was riding from Alabama to NY and then back for Thanksgiving one year. I even got one of those little sleeper cabins. That was lots of fun.

I speak a smidge of Spanish and Hebrew. Can't really converse in Hebrew, though, just read and understand prayer.

I've dyed my own yarn a bunch of times. My old guild always had a dye day every summer. But I can't really say I do it regularly. Not more than once or twice a year.

I have 3 siblings, to brothers and a sister.

I've got 50 items in my queue.

My patronus is a hawk.

I collect cats, and I collect sheet music that has the name Amy in the title (Amy is my muggle name)

I do make stitch markers, but usually just for swapping. So I don't have any of the ones I've made.

I live in Central Mass.

My favorite sweet treat is dark chocolate.

I played quidditch last term and in the earlier HSKS swap that was a whole season of quidditch. I've played seeker and beater.

I do own all of the Harry Potter movies, and all of the books.

This is my 5th HSKS swap.

I've done a 3 day, 2 night camp out, at Rhinebeck a couple of years ago. It was so cold!

I play the piano.

My birthday is in June.

First camp assignment

2010-07-12T19:33:00.000-07:00

A little questionnaire to help our spoilers :-)

Knit or crochet or both? Both, just started crocheting last week :-)
Brands you would like to try but don't have easy access to: nothing specific comes to mind
Favorite fibers/least favorite fibers I like bamboo and tencel a lot, don't like anything too scratchy.
Favorite colors/least favorite colors I love blues, greens, aquas, purples, reds, yellows, pretty much everything. I do prefer clear, true colors over muted colors.
Yarn weight preferences Usually I say fat yarn goes faster, but lately I've been using a lot of sock yarn.
Favorite projects Socks for knitting. I'm not sure yet crocheting, I haven't done enough yet.
Favorite gadgets Stitch markers. Row counters help a lot, too.
Favorite designers Don't have a favorite.
Salty or Sweet or...? Both, preferably together. I love chocolate, the darker the better.
Tea or Coffee or...? Both, plain or flavored. My favorite tea is Earl Grey.
Allergies None that matter. Just bee stings.
Other things you like, i.e., buttons, pens, fabric, stitchmarkers, etc. Stitch markers, row counters, anything an experienced crocheter thinks would be helpful to one starting out.
Currently Craving The new M&Ms with pretzels inside.
Where you might have wish lists (Loopy Ewe, Amazon, Etsy) Just my blog. Never thought of setting one up anywhere else. Didn't know Etsy had one, so I might go look at that.
Measurements (feet for socks, wrists, head circumference) Size 7 feet. Wrist circumference 6". Head, well, I don't usually wear hats.

Part 1: Short Answer

2010-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

1. Explain why Muggles need electricty. This is as close to magic as Muggles get. Electricity powers many Muggle machines and devices, including the lights in their homes, home cooling systems, entertainment systems like televisions, and even sometimes vehicles.

2. What are the most common ways Muggles communicate when they are not together in the same place? Muggles typically use telephones to talk remotely. Some telephones are kept at home on leashes called wires, but other phones stay with the Muggles. Sometimes the Muggle will talk into a telephone, and the person they are talking to will hear them on a second telephone. Other times the Muggle uses letters on the telephone to “text” which is sending words in writing, instead of sound. The Muggle receiving the message sees it displayed on their telephone.

3. How do Muggles cope with broken items? Sometimes Muggles put a broken item back together using glue, which is sticky and holds the pieces together. Unfortunately, Muggles frequently use a place called a garbage dump to store broken things, replacing the broken item with a new one. This contributes to even bigger piles of garbage and sometimes releases poisons into the environment.

4. Describe a popular Muggle sport. My favorite Muggle sport is called baseball. 2 teams play against each other at a time. One team starts out by standing around the field (playing defense), while the other team sits on a bench (playing offense). One part of the field has a diamond sketched on it, with “bases” at the 4 corners. A player from the defense stands at each of the 4 bases. One of the bases is called home.

One player from the offense stands at home plate with a bat (longer than a quidditch bat). The pitcher stands in the middle of the diamond, and throws a white ball at the batter, who tries to hit the ball. If he hits it, he runs around the bases, while the defense tries to hit him with the ball. If they hit him while he’s not standing on a base, he gets an out. There are a lot more rules, which sometimes Muggles argue over

5. Name something you'd like to try doing without magic, and how you would accomplish it. I would like to try growing food. To do this, I’ve got a garden in my yard. I bought plants at a Muggle store called a nursery, and am planting them in the garden. Since I won’t be using magic, I’ll have to use fertilizer to feed them, and a garden hose to water them when it doesn’t rain enough. I’ll have to pull out all the weeds (plants that grow in the garden that you don’t want) and then when the fruits and veggies are ready, pick them all by hand.

Part 2: Identify these common Muggle items.

2010-06-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

1. A small squared-off rod held in the hand with many soft buttons on one side with numbers and words written on them. A remote control, used to control televisions and other electronic items.

2. A metal box with a long, handled hose, which counts several sets of numbers when you compress the handle. Gas pump. Muggle vehicles (cars) burn gasoline (or petrol) for propulsion. Periodically, the Muggle must fill a tank in the car with gasoline, and they do that by using a gas pump.

3. A heavy rod with a single button that emits light when pushed. A flashlight. Since Muggles can’t use wands and the Lumos charm for light, they have flashlights.

4. A small, thin, glossy rectangle that has pictures on one side and emits a variety of noises, often attached to Muggles' ears with a thin cord. An Ipod. Muggles are able to put whatever music they like on their Ipods, making each one unique.

5. A large cabinet with one glass side, displaying a variety of neatly organized items, which occasionally spits one out when the correct code is entered. A vending machine: Since Muggles can’t summon food, and have no house elves, they have to provide their own food. Sometimes when they are away from home and need food, they visit a vending machine, put in various amounts of money, and get something to eat.

Part 3: Famous Muggles

2010-06-06T14:31:00.001-07:00

Part 3: Find a picture of the following Muggles and describe why they are famous.

1. Spike Jonze: a producer of movies, commercials and music videos. A movie is more like a wizard photograph than a Muggle one, in that the people move. But they can’t talk to the viewer. They just keep telling the same story every time the movie is viewed.

2. Oprah Winfrey: a woman who has acted in Muggle movies, publishes a magazine, and has a talk show on Muggle TV. On her show, she talks to famous Muggles, asking them a lot of questions.

3. Bono: a Muggle rock musician, from an Irish band called U2. He writes the words to all of their songs. He is also an activist and humanitarian, raising money for Muggles in poorer parts of the world.

4. Elizabeth II: the Queen of England. A largely ceremonial position, she is nominally the head of the English government. It is uncertain whether any of the Muggle Prime Ministers have informed her of the presence of the Wizarding world. She's been the queen for a really long time, and has a big ship named after her.

5. J.K. Rowling: An English writer who has written the saga of Harry Potter’s battle and defeat of Voldemort. Unlike Rita Skeeter, she seems to work hard at sticking very close to the truth, both good and bad.

Got my kit!

2010-06-05T18:33:00.001-07:00

Actually, I got it a week ago, right before I left to go out of town. So my apologies to Emma Scrimgeour for the delay.

First, when I opened the shipping box, I saw:

Is that a great bag or what? Emma's mom made it!

Inside, there's this awesomely cute hippo tool box.

Inside the hippo:

Harmony dpn's in size 1 (can never have too many of those!) stitch markers, and radish earrings (it's just not a Luna kit without radishes!) The stitch markers spell out "its often infested with nargles" which is what Luna says about mistletoe :-)

There is a pair of awesome mitts in Ravenclaw colors with big "diamond" buttons

There are also a pile of tea bags (yum!); some dark chocolate (gone already); a very nice hand made card; the pattern for Luna's Moonlight Ladies sock (by our own Ann Kingstone); and some hand-dyed yarn by Christina Marie Potter.

Arithmancy homework

2010-05-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

This was massively fun! And it means I've got something to blog about early in the week, which is good since I'm going away for the weekend.

Puzzle #1: Dobby
Puzzle #2: Harry Potter
Puzzle #3: Hogs Head

Finished my hand made item

2010-05-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Whew! Just squeaked it in there, but it is done early enough to earn house points. That's a first for me, so I'm extra excited. Obviously I'm not going to post a picture, because I don't want Dagmara to see it before she opens her kit. Now all I need to do is a few more small purchases, and I'm all set for early send points. Yay!

Now I'll just write some cheering charms for tomorrow's quidditch match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Slytherin is closer to us in points, so I guess I'll be cheering for Hufflepuff to win.

Battle cry

2010-05-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's more like a march, but still:

I don’t know but I’ve been told,
Gryffindor brooms are plated gold
Somehow it has come to pass
Ravenclaw’s are plated brass

Gryffindor’s brooms shine nice and bright,
But Ravenclaws are fast and light.
Gryffindors are smart brave witches
But ‘claws will score and catch the snitches.

Potions Homework, part 1

2010-05-08T19:09:00.001-07:00

Pomegranate: juice is used in Strengthening Solution. (Yeah, I know, that pom is past it's prime. I found it in the back of the fridge)

Phlox: used to attract flocks of birds to a garden, which then eat the bugs.

Shamrock: used in Ireland as an ingredient of Good Luck potions.

Muscari: Essence of muscari can be used as food coloring, but too much causes the ingester to turn violet. It was almost revealed to the Muggles when the affect was used in the making of the movie “Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” Luckily the film was charmed, so Muggle viewers believe the affect to be just a bit of movie special affects.

Leaves of a bubotuber plant. The pus of the tubers themselves (found underground) is used to treat acne.

Potions homework, part 2

2010-05-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

1. Sneezewort, scurvy grass, and lovage are used to make what?
A: Allergen Solution
B:Confusing Draught
C: Babbling Befuddlement
D: Wandering Agent

2. Porcupine quills are to be added when to a Boil Cure Potion?
A: It is the second ingredient you add
B: Before it is removed from the fire
C: You don't add them, they aren't part of the potion
D: After it is removed from the fire

3. What potion, if brewed correctly, should change color numerous times throughout brewing including deep purple, lilac, and finishing clear?
A: The Draught of Living Death
B: Amortentia
C: Calming Draft
D: Elixir to Induce Euphoria

4. This ingredient in the Draught of Peace, would likely bring you permanent peace since it is poisonous, what is it?
A: Murlap
B: Belladonna
C: Mugwort
D: Hellebore

5. Chopped daisy roots, skinned shrivel-fig, sliced caterpillar, one rat spleen, dash of leech juice are all ingredients to what?
A: Swelling Solution
B: Deflating Draught
C: Shrinking Solution
D: Sleeping Draught

Potions Homework, part 3

2010-05-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

This is a potion I make that is a quick and dirty sangria-type drink. It's light and refreshing, which makes it nice for summer. I use fruit juice, usually a mixed berry blend, some white wine, and some club soda. Notice in the picture the Ravens on the wine bottle :-)

Mad-libs, part 2: A Tale

2010-04-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter And The Curse of Dudley

Harry Potter, the boy wonder, the penny-pincher of the wizarding world; sat alone in his tiny bedroom scratching his elbow and cleaning the sugar out of Hedwig's cage. This summer wasn't nearly as boring as his previous summers had been.

Over the summer, his cousin Dudley had grown quite frightened of him. Harry secretly kept cursing him, even though under age use of magic was strictly forbidden outside of Hogeczema 's school of catcraft and happiness.

It seemed the wizarding world turned a blind foot when it came to Harry, and he never got in trouble for his... transgressions.

One particularly memorable curse on Dudley happened on the 13th of June. It was so hot, you could bake a picture on the sidewalk.

Dudley sat on his enormous ear in front of the telly, spooning flaskful after flaskful of chocolate mousse down his throat. Harry thought he looked rather giraffish, with his piggy little eyes and fat body.

Harry got an evil little grin on his kneecap and raised his wand behind Dudley's head. "Carpe Momentum" he shouted; which translated to English means "Turn this boy's head into a star fruit and make him dance around like a tiger with migraines!"

And that's just what Dudley did! He bounced off the couch, screamed " BLODRUM!" to the top of his lungs, and began sewing on the floor, while turning in circles and flapping his thumbs.

Harry was laughing so hard, he almost peed his cap. He was still laughing, and Dudley was still flapping, when Uncle Vernon came thundering down the stairs. He had gone a nice shade of purple. He looked at Harry, shaking in anger, then looked at Dudley, horrified. " IT TAKES BOTH SUN AND RAIN TO MAKE A RAINBOW.
!" he screamed, then calmly turned and walked away.

Harry and Dudley looked at each other in abject confusion. Harry shrugged his shoulders in a "beats me" gesture, and the two cousins sat on the sofa, temporarily forgetting their animosity toward one another.

Dudley lifted the half empty flask of chocolate mousse and offered it to Harry.

"Don't mind if I do!" said the bespectacled young man, grabbing a spoon and preparing to dine.

Dudley's thumbs gave one mighty final flap, and the boys had a most enjoyable evening, indeed.

Mad-libs! How fun!

2010-04-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Here's my list:

1. a verb: bake
2. a number: 13
3. a body part: foot
4. an abstract noun: happiness
5. a noun: cat
6. a skin condition: eczema
7. a body part: elbow
8. type of person/stereotype: penny-pincher
9. a substance: sugar
10. a fortune cookie phrase in all capital letters: IT TAKES BOTH SUN AND RAIN TO MAKE A RAINBOW.
11. article of clothing: cap
12. verb ending in "-ed": bounced
13. neurological disorder: migraines
14. an animal: tiger
15. a fruit: star fruit
16. a latin (sounding) phrase in all capital letters: CARPE MOMENTUM
17. a body part: kneecap
18. a large animal: giraffe
19. a food: chocolate mousse
20. a body part in plural: thumbs
21. a verb ending in "-ing": sewing
22. a nonsensical word in all capital letters:
23. a container: flask
24. a body part: ear
25. a noun: picture

Care of Magical Creatures homework

2010-04-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

I'm using the same marker as in the last round of pictures.

Pepper: used to feed salamanders

Bowl of milk: You can use it to tell knarls from hedgehogs. They’re suspicious of any food left for them. You can tell them apart from hedgehogs by putting out a bowl of milk. The knarls will react to it with hostility.

Lettuce: used to feed flobberworms during Care of Magical Creatures classes

Hot Mitts: used to handle fire crabs

Fairy eggs: can be used to distract a bowtruckle so you can take leaves or wood from their trees

Part Two: Complete the following quiz about House Elves. 5 points for each correct answer.

1. Please describe the physical appearance of a house elf. Short, skinny arms and legs; big eyes; long pointy nose; big pointy ears

2. Kreacher is the house elf of which wizarding family? The Black family

3. What is Hermione Granger making for the house elves? Hats and socks

4. How do you free a house elf? Give him/her clothing

5. What does S.P.E.W. stand for? Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare

Transfiguration homework

2010-04-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

I didn't make it 100%, but I came pretty close. Above is my originality marker, a necklace from my sister.

Toy rubber ball

Memoris! Now it's a remembrall:

Candy and some paper:

Fugatum! Now it's a snitch:

A cup and some teeth:

Te dentum! A nose-biting teacup.

An hourglass and jewelry supplies.

Tempes mutatio! It's a timechanger:

Twigs:

Vita arbus! A Bowtruckle

Papers:

Oculum! Spectrespecs :

This was my one failure. I'm awful in the kitchen. I couldn't find any fruitcake to transform into rock cakes, so I tried fruit and cake.

Geocakuem! And got a rock. Can't win them all.

Modeling clay

Pyrotus! Decoy Detonator

homework

2010-04-03T09:46:00.000-07:00

So for our first homework, we had to say what 3 characters were our favorites, and why. Only I can't remember exactly who I said were my favorite 3! So I picked the 3 I thought I said, and I'm pretty sure I got the same 3. I'm very sure about the first 2, so hopefully that will help my spoiler :-) If not, she can remind me who I said, and I'll tell her why I picked them.

Luna Lovegood

Luna fascinates me. Why is she in Ravenclaw, the brainy house? She’s not stupid by any stretch, but her brains don’t seem to be her strongest quality, at least on the surface. Unlike Hermione, who is very logical, Luna is intuitive and empathetic. So why Ravenclaw? Why not Hufflepuff, where tolerance and fair play are so valued? Luna certainly has those qualities. Her gentleness and serenity all point more towards Hufflepuff than any of the other houses.

She is also brave and loyal, both qualities valued in Gryffindor. She frequently sides with the Gryffindors against Slytherin, and even shows up wearing a lion head before a quidditch match.

So why does Luna sort into Ravenclaw? It’s clear that the Sorting hat does measure all of a student’s traits, not just the predominant one. Otherwise brainy Hermione would have sorted into Ravenclaw. But I think there’s a little more to it with Luna. I think the Sorting Hat is letting us know that Luna’s empathy and kindness are a type of intelligence we should value. She doesn’t just see facts, she really sees into people. She’s the one who is able to give Harry some measure of comfort after Sirius’s death, even though at that point, they aren’t that close. And she’s of great comfort to Mr. Ollivander while they’re both being held in the basement of Malfoy Manor.

I have a lot of admiration for Luna. She’s very comfortable in her own skin. She’s true to herself, and to her friends. She knows that people see her as different, and it doesn’t seem to faze her at all. But she does recognize and appreciate the people who do stand up for her. Even though she passively tolerates other people’s meanness aimed at her, she is brave and steady when it comes to standing up for others, even to the point of fighting the Death Eaters.

Ginny Weasley

Ginny to me is much more straight-forward than Luna. Ginny could certainly have sorted into Ravenclaw, because she is no dummy. But the thing I love best about Ginny is that she is fierce. She is the only one who’s able to cow Fred and George, and she was dueling with Death Eaters as young as 14.

But Ginny is also kind and brave and loyal. She stands up for Luna and Neville, even if it isn’t something popular to do. She’s witty and bright, determined. I love that as a child, she taught herself to fly a broom by sneaking into the shed at night and borrowing her brothers’ brooms. Once she gets over her initial shyness around Harry, she’s really quite bold, playing 2 positions in Quidditch, and working with Neville and Luna to try and steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snapes’ office. At one point she tells Harry: "The thing about growing up with Fred and George is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve." Nothing stops her once she puts her mind to something.

Hermione Granger

Hermione is of course the idol of many of us witches. She’s lived such an exciting life. She’s certainly one of the smartest witches ever. But there is so much more to her than brains and studying. She’s also gutsy and loyal. Rules are important to her, but she isn’t so rigid that she won’t bend them to help a friend in need.

One of her best qualities is how willing she is to fight injustice. So many people will see an injustice, and say something about it, but never do anything about it. Hermione sees a problem and immediately takes action. The best example of this is S.P.E.W., but it’s also seen in how she bests Rita Skeeter.

Hermione certainly values intelligence, but she does come to value the softer forms of it exemplified in Luna, and shows some measure of her own. Initially, she is a little socially clueless, but she comes a long way in that regard, displaying and empathy and understanding of other people’s emotions. The first sign of this is how she helps Ginny work through her shyness around Harry. She also tries to help Harry understand Cho Chang’s behavior.

In the end I think Luna and Hermione are perfect complements to each other, and once Hermione accepted their differences, they become good friends.

New term!

2010-03-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

And I get to stay a Ravenclaw! Yay. I wasn't really very worried, because I can't imagine the Sorting Hat putting me anywhere else, but it's always good to find out for certain. Time to update my wish list! :-)

The most spoiled spoilee ever

2009-12-27T18:21:00.000-08:00

I really am the most spoiled spoilee ever. And Lizzie worked the Magpie theme so well. There are feathers snuck in here and there, and of course she really worked the black and white color theme to perfection. I opened the box left by her owl, and found it filled with Magpie-wrapped parcels.

Isn't this awesome? She even printed her own wrapping paper:

I started opening them with the biggest one first. It is a knitting bag, lined, with pockets, including long ones for straight needles. It's black and white, of course, and it's got a feather pattern knit into the bottom of it, and colorwork Magpies knit into the top. I love it so much!!

Opening the next parcel, I found a great little tool bag, and in exploring its pockets, saw that it was filled with more little parcels! This is even better than Russian nesting dolls!

Inside, there was a snitch tape measure, a gorgeous set of colored wooden double points in size 2mm, perfect for sock knitting, and a set of stitch markers with black and white beads, of course, and feather charms.

Next came 3 balls of yarn (all with bamboo, a favorite of mine) one black, one white, and one in variegated blues, pinks and purples, which of course is my favorite colorway. I got a tote bag with the Montrose Magpies logo magically adhereed to it, a small handmade notebook with the logo on the cover. There's a bookmark with Hogwarts stitched onto it in runes, snitch-shaped chocolates, and Bertie Bott's every flavored beans. There's also some tea in a tin cunningly shaped like the Ministry of Magic's entrance.

I got 2 patterns to go with my yarn: a feather :-) and fan sosck pattern, and a great little colorwork bag with a cat pattern. It will be just the thing for my first ever colorwork project!

Last, and definitely NOT least, a pair of quidditch sock earrings and a quidditch team sweater pin, hand knit of course, and complete adorable.

Here's the whole kit and caboodle:

Rascal, wearing Magpies team colors, inspects and approves.

Lizzie, thank you so much for your hard work. I feel like I got 2 kits, especially since Emma helped you with it. Many thanks to you, too, Emma! Lizzie, what charm did you use to fit all of that into that little box?

quidditch and Winnie

2009-12-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

I can't believe we're only a week away from the end of quidditch season. Excuse the pun, but it has completely flown by! And I've got my spoilee's kit well in hand. No running around at the last minute for me! I think that's a major accomplishment :-)

Now for Winnie. This week seems simple. She's in Transylvania, and had a close call with a certain vampire. The week before, that's a little trickier. But a large city with plenty of holy water and crucifixes, maybe she's in Vatican City or Rome.

A spoiling I will go...

2009-11-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

I found what could be the best ever book to give my spoilee. Even my Muggle family members were impressed by it when I showed it to them. I wish I could post a picture to show off its awesomeness. And I'm ahead of where I thought I'd be on the item I'm making, so Helena might not have to wait for me to mail it at the last possible second! I'm all kinds of excited about that! I had lots of fun today flitting around picking up some little things here and there for the kit, too. When I tell people about doing these swaps, they have no idea how much fun it is to stalk someone, and find just the right things to put into the kit.

A broom!

2009-11-21T17:20:00.000-08:00

I got home this morning from a week in Massachusetts and in my mail was a package. I wasn't expecting anything, which made it even more exciting. And what do I find in the package? A little broom! Sort of Barbie-sized. My assignment is to take it on a tour of my area, and photograph it's journey. This is going to be so much fun!

What am I thankful for, and what makes me happy?

2009-11-19T09:40:00.001-08:00

This is an awesome idea for a blog post, Devan. I do know that I have a lot to be thankful for. And the happy part is pretty easy for me. I'm one of those people who's pretty much naturally happy. I try to always look for the positive, not dwell on the negative, and don't look back with regret. Even if something doesn't work out, I take it as a lesson in life and move on.

What am I thankful for? (Not in order of priorty, just how they pop into my head)

My house sold, so I don't have to try to maintain a house in NY after moving to Mass.
My company has a relocation group help me move, so I don't have to do all the work myself. They're helping me find a temporary apartment in Mass.
I get to have movers pack and move for me. Let me repeat that. I get to have movers PACK for me. How awesome is that?
I'm very thankful for my family.
I'm very thankful my aunt and uncle will be visiting for Thanksgiving. I don't get to see them nearly enough.
I'm thankful for my health.
I'm thankful for my job. I enjoy doing it, have great coworkers, and good benefits. So many people are stuck in jobs they don't like, or have no health insurance.
I'm thankful for the chance to move to Mass, and start a new adventure in my life. I'm sad that I won't get to see family and friends back home as often, but it's only a 4 hour drive. But I can't wait to start exploring Mass and New England, finding new places, meeting new people. It's going to be a blast.
I'm thankful for my kitties, as trite as that may sound. They're such loving little fur babies, and keep the home life from getting too dull.

What makes me happy?

Spending time with my friends' 10 year old triplets. Last weekend I was watching them, and we had so much fun. We did crafts, and drove around doing some errands, ate out, and ended the day by cuddling together by the fire talking.
Weaving makes me happy. A lot. I love the process of planning a project. And I love how it reveals itself as I start weaving. It's always a thrill, seeing an idea from my head come to life on my loom.
Knitting makes me happy. It's similar to weaving, but not as big of a thrill.
Sometimes cooking makes me happy. Especially when it turns out well :-) Cooking for just myself gives me a lot of freedom, because if something doesn't work out, no one has to know, and I don't have to worry about other people not getting fed.
Baking makes me happy. It's a little bit chemistry class, and a little bit magic. And I love it if something I baked makes other people happy.
Reading makes me happy. I love to lose myself in a good book. I love learning about new places and people, and I love reading history to learn about the past. I love to see how people lived in past times, and how they live now in different places.
My job makes me happy. There's enough challenge and variety to keep it from getting boring, and I get support when needed from my boss and coworkers. And all the people in my new office have been so nice and welcoming, it feels good to come here.

Another week, another mystery note from Winnie

2009-11-14T15:23:00.001-08:00

And she's certainly covered some ground this week! All the way from South America to Egypt, with a stop to visit Professor Slughorn. I'm so jealous, too, because I'd love to see the pyramids. One of these days, I'll get there, but for now I'll have to content myself with the US.

Today I got to babysit my friends' 10 year old triplets, which was a blast. We worked on a craft project, for them to make presents for their parents and grandparents. I was hoping to get some knitting done while they were working, but of course I couldn't resist joining in their fun. We ended the day hanging out by the fire cuddling and talking.

Where's Winnie

2009-11-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

So our beloved headmistress has gone galivanting around the globe, leaving us little clues to guess her location. This week's clue seems to me to point to Brazil. I hope she brushed up on her Portugese before she left!

Muggle life is definitely intruding into my quidditch fun this term! I'm still trying to sell the house, and I have to start working in Mass full time as of December 1st! Yikes! I've got to find a place to live! I sure wish I had one of the tents Mr. Weasley had. That was easy to set up, and plenty of room. Now I'm probably going to be using something the muggles call Craig's List to find a place for a short while. But I have to find one that will let me take the kitties. What else can I do with them? Even a stunning spell won't keep the quiet long enough for me to sell this house and buy another.

Ok, off to shop and cook for a fun potluck tonight!

Halloween!

2009-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

And I've only had about 20 trick or treaters! The best costume of all was a little girl of about 5 who was dressed as Little Bo Peep, complete with crook. And her little sister was dressed as a sheep! They were so darling! I gave them extra treats for having the best costumes of the night.

I, of course, am dressed in my witchy best. It's so fun to go out among the Muggles in my robes and not have to worry about being stared at. This morning I went to a S&B at a local coffee shop, with a couple of stops along the way. People saw me and either looked away quickly, or started laughing! I don't know what that was about! I thought I looked fierce! I'm even wearing a nose ring.

And I was able to get some special things for my spoilee today. Of course I can't say what, but I think she'll like them very much.

Happy Halloween everyone!

Whew

2009-10-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

My muggle life has been a whirlwind for the last 2 weeks. I was travelling for work for part of it, and then when I got back to Syracuse, my sister had flown in from Hong Kong, so I've had 3 solid days of shopping and fun with her. I'm exhausted. I'll be so lucky if I don't fall off my broom during quidditch practice!

Speaking of quidditch, I have to confess. I'm pretty well terrified of heights. I've only recently taken up quidditch, in hopes of curing my fear. Of course, if I fall off my broom and land on my head, it won't do much for my fear!

Sorry, short post today, I've got to run!

Homework!

2009-10-15T20:51:00.000-07:00

1 Someone with the same craft as you: Emma Gorodok knits, dyes, tablet weaves (I do a little tablet weaving, but mostly loom weaving) some sewing , and makes stitch markers (which I do a little bit) all things I do. She also crochets and writes patterns, which I don’t.
2 Someone who was born in the same month: Celestina Pettigrew was born in June, just like me
3 Someone from a different country: Lizzie Wychwood is from the UK
4 A new HSKS Quidditch player: Saraid Swiftrunner is playing quidditch for the first time!
5 A player who has been in 3 or mor HSKS swaps: Olive Bumblebirch has been in 3 previous HSKS swaps.
6 A player with a bigger stash than you: Rowena Dragonsinger, Asst Capt of the Wigtown Wanderers, has 15 Rubbermaid totes! I’ve only got 6
7 A player who both knits and crochets: Bridget the Bloodthirsty does both
8 Someone who has the same favorite color as you: Ginny Lockheart lists blue, then purple. I put purple first, but those are my 2 favorite colors

Other things I discovered about the above people, poking through their blogs and Ravelry pages:
Emma used to be a Slytherin but now she’s a Ravenclaw, like me.
Celestina put project bags on her wish list, same as me.
Lizzie grows her own lavender. I bet she’s a wiz at Herbology! I plan on planting some in whatever garden I have when I get my new house.
Saraid has an awesome picture of women aviators on her blog.
Olive went to Sock Summit! I am so jealous!
Rowena’s Patronus is a gorgeous dragon.
Bridget has 78 projects on Ravelry!
Ginny hasn’t done any other swaps before. We should all be especially nice to her, so she’ll love them as much as the rest of us.

Wish list

2009-10-09T19:44:00.001-07:00

This post is always fun and hard: we have to post our wish lists, to help our spoilers decide what to get us. So in no particular order:

Chocolate is always good, the darker the better. Fruit and/or nut inclusions are perfectly acceptable.

Coffee: I'm a fiend, completely addicted. Flavored coffees are just fine.

Tea: I drink a lot of this, too, and that includes herbals (tisanes) and flavored tea. For a good strong cup when I don't want the caffeine hit of coffee, I reach for some yummy Earl Grey.

Stitch Markers: I use them all the time to keep my place in projects. I can never have too many of them, and like all kinds of them.

Project bags: I like to be able to grab one and throw it in a tote bag when I'm on my way somewhere. I never know which tote back I'll want to take with me, so I like to be able to move my projects from one bag to another. The project bags makes that easier.

Tool bags: to go in the project bags, so I can keep extra stitch markers, needles, scissors in my project bags.

Yarn: well, I don't really have a strong preference. I like a bit of everything, because even if it doesn't work out for knitting, I'll end up weaving with it. Lately I've been on a bamboo kick, and I like tencel as well, because I like the sheen they give a yarn. They both make nice blends with wool.

Needles: I like wood or bamboo, because with metal I drop stitches like crazy.

Other stuff about me: I'm a sports nut. I root for the NY Yankees, and the Miami Dolphins most of all.

I collect cats, but only small ones. None of them are bigger than about 4-5 inches.

I'm Jewish, so I don't do Xmas decorations, but I do like to have Chanukah stuff all over the house.

I'm a geek at heart, and love watching movies. I am a big fan of Star Trek, Firefly, X-Men. I'm also a bookwork, and I have a Kindle so I never have to worry about not having something to read. I love reading historical fiction and mysteries, like Anne Perry's Victorian series.

Ok, spoiler, whoever you are, hope this helps!

I'm a Magpie!

2009-10-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

And I doubt anyone is surprised, seeing how much I love shiny things :-) But I am so excited! Bevan Mooney's sister Siobhan is our team captain, and her assistant is Olive Bumblebirch. I think we're going to have a great team this year.

Signed up for quidditch!

2009-10-05T06:32:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited, I can't believe I got to try out. I think I did pretty well. Now it is just a matter of wait and see. I had to put down which teams I wanted for first, second and third choices, but honestly as long as I get to play, I'll be happy. I like all the captains, so that wasn't a huge help. I don't really know Siobhan very well yet, but I roomed with her sister Bevan one term, and I got along with both of them just fine. So I put the Magpies down as my first choice. But really, I just want to play!

Back at Hogwarts!

2009-09-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

And this term it is quidditch quidditch quidditch! How cool is that! I can't wait to see what team I'll be drafted by! And the girls are really getting pumped up! Emma and Lizzie are already dueling! I'm all atwitter! I really need to get some flying practice in. I haven't had any time all summer, and I really need to bring my A game with this group!

One very spoiled Ravenclaw!

2009-05-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm seriously a ditz. I've been so swamped with work and getting the house ready to sell, and then was working like crazy to get the kit out for Buttercup, that I completely forgot I would be getting a kit myself! I got home today and saw a package on the stoop and thought, Hmmm, what in the world is that? Such a lovely surprise it was! Agatha, you did a wonderful job. I'm crazy about my bag, and can't wait to start the kit you sent me. Inside, I found:

I love this bag. Love it love it love it.

Did I say I LOVE the bag. Love it. Totally love it. The picture doesn't do it justice. And of course the first project that will go in it is going to be the Dante's Purse. Agatha included all the yarn and fabric I need, even the sewing thread. And the best part is that I've recently found an all new love for sewing, so the timing is perfect. And yes, I know I should be working on one of my already existing projects, but I don't care. I've got some wonderful bamboo yarn to work with, and the casein needles I've been dying to try. I also got some Chibi needles, which are my favorites, and some yummy treats (which of course I'm eating as I write this.)

And my kit inspector heartily approves:

That is Pepper, wondering if the thread would make a good toy. He wasn't very interested in the Jelly Belly's, since there weren't any fish or mouse flavored ones.

Mad libs part 2

2009-04-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

I have to tell you about the smart time I had in Diagon Alley last weekend! My friend Waverly Trimble and I decided that we really needed some new needle cases and had to get over to Diagon Alley immediately. Waverly put on her belt because it was clever and did not want to get a cold. I grabbed my purse and we headed to the trains.

While waiting for our train to Diagon Alley, we chatted with Buttercup Dumbledore and Selena Starfire who were planning to visit Gringott’s. Selena did not want to go alone because she was collecting a broom and that was very colorful and brought Buttercup along for her excellence in protecting spells.

The train arrived and off we went. Our seats were very comfortable and the train sped along towards Diagon Alley and we were there in a flash! Before heading to the Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe, we went into a glass that sells the sturdy chocolate pies!!! As we neared the glass, we noticed quite a lot of commotion! The glass owner had set the chocolate pie making machine and it had gotten stuck! Chocolate pies were flying everywhere! I ducked as a cream-filled chocolate pie came flying right at me and it striped into Professor McGonegal’s sock just as she walked through the door! A lime chocolate pie did a nose dive and splattered all over the ceiling most elaborately! We made it out of the store just as a chocolate pie frog and a kettle of Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans collided in a rainstorm of goo!

This was lots of fun, and made for a funny (if odd) story!

Since we were still happy, we walked the 13 blocks over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor! I decided on a cone with lemon ice cream and Waverly got the hot fudge sundae with extra caramel! Yummy! Professor McGonegal had made her way over here as well after the incident at the chocolate pie shoppe and had chosen a birch beer float.

After that, we passed Gringott’s and headed to Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe! I tried not to look at the beautiful skeins of silk and bamboo and wool and instead, headed toward the needle cases while Waverly stopped to run the stitch markers. I found a purple needle case made out of steel and made my purchase. Waverly kept hedging between the needle case she came for and a pattern for a wash cloth. She chose the wash cloth pattern and we walked the back towards the train station just in time to make the 12:30 train.

After sitting down, we noticed Buttercup and Selena were on the train as well. Selena looked quite shiny to have the broom with them. Buttercup however did not look shiny at all. While waiting to go into the vault, a baby goblin waiting in line with his Mommy had played on Buttercup, getting pinot grigio all over their clean robes! The smell really was just horrendous! Apparently, Buttercup’s protecting spells don’t work well against pinot grigio!! We made our way to a less smelly compartment and talked about how we were going explain missing Professor Snape’s lecture on the valuable ways hippogriffs are working with the Department of Mysteries in solving unsolvable witches!

Fun homework!

2009-04-23T17:09:00.000-07:00

This week's homework is all about word! We get to pick words to match categories, and then tomorrow we get a mad-lib to slot them into. Can't wait to see how this works out!

1- An adjective: smart
2- A fellow Ravenclaw: Waverly Trimble
3- A knitting or crocheting item: needle case
4- A clothing accessory: belt
5- An adjective: clever
6- Something you always have with you: purse
7- A HSKS student1: Buttercup Goblinshimmer Dumbledore
8- A HSKS student2: Selena Starfire
9- A noun: broom
10- An adjective: colorful
11- A noun: glass
12- An adjective: sturdy
13- A food: chocolate pie
14- An adjective ending in “ing”: flying
15- An adjective ending in “ed”: striped
16- A Professor at Hogwarts: McGonegal
17- An article of clothing: sock
18- A food flavor: lime
19- A part of a room: ceiling
20- An adjective: happy
21- A number: 13
22- A food flavor: lemon
23- A food topping: caramel
24- A drink: birch beer
25- A verb: run
26- An adjective: purple
27- Something you can knit or crochet: wash cloth
28- An adjective: shiny
29- A past tense verb: played
30- A food or drink: pinot grigio
31- A Professor at Hogwarts: Snape
32- A magical creature in Harry Potter’s world: hippogriff
33- A noun: witch

quidditch pictures

2009-04-14T17:27:00.000-07:00

George (Weasley)

(Minerva)McGonagall

(Parvati) Patil

Where the Wild Things Are (needs no explanation)

quidditch questions

2009-04-14T15:58:00.001-07:00

Wow, this round of questions is tough. Luckily for me, though, these brainy questions are right up this 'claw's alley!

I'll post the pictures separately.

1. This “Harry Potter” character’s first name comes from Roman mythology. The mythological character’s twin brother is named Romulus. What is the Harry Potter character last name?
a. Black
b. Lupin
c. Pucey
d. Finnigan

2. Which “Harry Potter” character’s first name is the Roman equivalent of the Greed Goddess Athena?
a. Evans
b. Malfoy
c. McGonagall
d. Flitwick

3. In ‘Harry Potter’ World, this wizard has created the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer Stone in the US). The historical figure from the 14th and 15th centuries was a scribe and a manuscript-seller who became famous as an alchemist. Who is this individual? Nicolas Flamel

4. What is the first name of a character whose last name is the name of a Bulgarian leader from early 9th century who doubled the country’s territory?
a. Theodore
b. Cedric
c. Viktor
d. Vincent

5. Which character’s name is the name of goddess in Indian mythology?
a. Creevey
b. Patil
c. Zabini
d. Vane

6. “Where the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Max, a young boy sent to bed without his supper for his wild antics. Who created this winner of the Caldecott Medal?
a. Maurice Sendak
b. Chris Van Allsberg
c. Ezra Jack Keats
d. John Steptoe

7. What was NOT one of the unexpected defense mechanisms that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook encountered in their attempt to rob Gringotts?
a. The Flagrante Curse
b. The Thieves’ Downfall
c. Anti-summoning Enchantments
d. The Geminio Curse

8. What was Snape aiming at when he cut off George’s ear?
a. Another Death Eater’s back
b. George’s wand hand
c. Another Death Eater’s wand hand
d. George’s face

9. How much older than James was Lily? (Referring to Harry’s parents, not children).
a. James was older
b. 6 months
c. 1 month
d. 2 months

10. Food is one of the five exceptions to what magical law?
a. Grimp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
b. Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration
c. Gamp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration
d. Grimp’s Law of Fundamental Transfiguration

Homework, again

2009-04-10T19:01:00.000-07:00

I think these were good practice for quidditch. I'm proud to say I was able to find all the answers in the book.

1- Who wrote the obituary of Dumbledore in The Daily Prophet? Elphias Doge

2- What is a Squib? A non-wizard born of wizard parents

3- Who stole the locket Horcrux from the Black House? Mundungus Fletcher

4- What are the Albus Dumbledores' siblings names? Aberforth and Ariana

5- Where did Hermione leave the money for the eggs and bread that they
stole from the lonely farm? Under the chicken coop.

6- What is the quote Lily and James Potter have on their tombstone? The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

7- Why did Gilbert Grindewald leave wizarding school? He was expelled from Durmstrag for performing “twisted experiments.”

8- Where does Xeno Lovegood first say that Luna is when Ron, Hermione and
Harry visit? Down at the stream, fishing for fresh water plimpies.

9- What wood is the wand from The Deathly Hallows supposed to be made out of? Elder

10- How did Harry, Hermione and Ron escape the vaults of Gringotts? On the back of a dragon

11- What is the name of the all-female Quidditch team that Ginny has a poster of in her room? Holyhead Harpies

12- Describe what the Undetectable Extension Charm is. A spell placed on an object that makes the inside bigger than the outside, like Hermione’s bag. I also believe one was cast on my Ford Focus, because I can pack more stuff in there than you’d ever believe. My car’s name is Hocus Focus because of this.

Brainy good fun!

2009-04-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

This week's homework is to find as many words as possible using the letters in the word Ravenclaw. Each word had to have an R in it, although the bonus was to make a list of words that didn't have R in it. Of course, being a Ravenclaw, I did both parts. And being a crossword puzzle buff, this was lots of fun for me.

R words (32): acer, arc, are, Aver, care, caer, caner, Caver, Cavern, claver, Clear, Crane, Crave, Craven, Craw, Crew, Lacer, Laver, Lear, Learn, Race, rale, Ran, Rave, Raven, Raw, Real, Vernal, waner, Warn, Waver, wear,

Non-R words (27): ace, ale, alec, awe, canal, cane, Cave, Caw, Claw, clew, Clean, lace, Lave, lane, Law, lawn, Lean, Nave, New, veal, venal, wale, wan, wane, Wave, weal,
wean

Another week gone in the blink of an eye!

2009-03-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how fast time is spooling by me right now! I've got to have my house ready to sell in 2 months! It's crazy! And I'm out in Mass all next week, and another week in April. Yikes! Plus finish the bag for my spoilee (oops, almost described it here. Don't want her to see that!) I've got most of the big stuff out of the way: yarn, pattern, and the stitch markers I made. Now just needles and then the fun stuff. I'll be hitting up some yarn stores in Mass, so that should help me find things to put in there. I think in July, when this term is done, and I'll have moved, I'm going to find a nice Muggle spa to spend a day!

The worst part of this is that I'm neglecting my housemates shamefully! I haven't been in the common room in 2 weeks! I definitely have to try harder, but I can't seem to slow down long enough!

Whew, what a week

2009-03-21T06:36:00.001-07:00

This week has totally flown by. I even missed quidditch, much to my horror. I feel horrible that I failed my housemates. And my lovely housemates won without me, and kept us in first place for the House Cup! Now we've got our photo treasure hunt, which I had such a blast with last term (and won both individual and team!) that I don't want to miss it, but I don't know if I'll be able to give it enough time and attention. This term, though, we aren't working in teams with our roommates, so at least if I don't get it done, I won't feel like I'm dragging anyone else down. Sigh. When I bought the house and moved in, it was so fun and exciting. Prepping to sell is quite the opposite!

More Homework!

2009-03-14T05:36:00.001-07:00

Our assignment this time is to read blog posts from school mates in the other houses, to better get to know them. And of course we have to comment on the posts.

From Gryffindor, my spoilee Buttercup mentioned getting to go to a Fair Isle knitting class. I've very jealous of that! I have yet to learn stranded knitting, and that is definitely on my list.

From Hufflepuff, Mantacora Crimson had a real live owl in her Muggle garage. She'd just finished her dueling mittens and he showed up. Makes you wonder if owls read Harry Potter!

From Slytherin, Penelope Caerphilly (who calls herself a Slytherpuff :-) has just finished decorating her own Kiwi spinning wheel. She named Einin (a-NEEN) which is Irish for little bird, perfect for a Kiwi!

Big change coming in my muggle life!

2009-03-14T05:31:00.000-07:00

My company is moving me to MA for work! I'm looking at it as a new adventure, and I've been sorely missing some adventure in my life. I start working out there in June, so will be spending the next few months frantically getting my house ready to sell, as well as working on my kit. I just yesterday got the yarn in for my bag, because it got backordered, so I need to get cracking. I plan on weaving it, so I've got to get my current weaving project finished, so I can free up the loom. Busy busy busy will be my motto for a while!

More fun homework

2009-03-07T20:57:00.001-08:00

Oh, boy, this one was tough to get started, but boy did I have fun once I got going! We were given the first paragraph of a story, and had to write the rest of the story. As usual, I went on a bit longer than I originally planned :-)

The shadows lengthened as the lonely witch waited in the graveyard to make her connection. Where was he? He couldn't have forgotten about her, could he? The shiver of cold slithered down her back and her heart jumped to her throat as she spotted someone in the distance. Was that him? She had never met him before, but hoped it was her contact. If she were to be caught by Ministry officials with this in her possession, it could mean real trouble for her whole family! Impatient and fearful, the stranger approached too fast, but too slow all at once. "How did I get myself into this?" she muttered under her breath. The faces flitted though her mind of those that coerced her into submission...

This was supposed to be a lark, something that Dahlia would previously never even consider. But smuggling, really! What would Mother think? And yet, she’d taken the crystal flask, wrapped it carefully in her hand-knit scarf, and tucked it into her black robe. It was really quite unexpected. And Dahlia never did anything bold or unexpected. She lived a quiet life, working in the payroll office of the Ministry.

At first Dahlia thought she’d be carrying a curing potion for some magical mishap too embarrassing to go to St. Mungo’s for. After all, the person was assisting wasn’t exactly known for his caution. Or perhaps it would be a love potion. After all, not everyone was skilled enough at potions to make their own, and they wouldn’t want to be seen buying it, either. And her contact might not want it for himself. He might want it to sell. But the brief glance she’d been able to give the contents of the flask showed her something darker. It was brown in color, and small bubbles rose up in it.

She supposed it was her own fault, really. Curiosity had gotten the better of her, which she knew would most likely end poorly. Life as a ministry worker could be a little dull. But dull suited Dahlia. At least it had, right up until she got the urge to go on an adventure. She’d gotten some travel brochures, and the one for Peru had seemed to stand out from the rest. At the time it seemed like fate, although now it seemed more likely it had been charmed to draw her to it. Once she was in Peru, she did all of the usual touristy things, even the Muggle ones, like climbing Machu Picchu. She’d had a wonderful time, and then went to spend a couple of days in Lima.

Somehow, Dahlia had found herself in a street much like Diagon Alley, in a shop rather too much like Borgin and Burke’s for her comfort. She didn’t even now how she got there. One minute she was walking down a sunny Lima street, the next she was entering a dark alley she didn’t even know existed. Yet somehow she knew it was a place from the wizarding world, and she’d somehow known how to get into it. Then she’d walked directly to the shop, neither stopping nor looking at any other shops. She didn’t plan on staying, but somehow she couldn’t make herself turn to go. She felt odd, as if she could only move very slowly. Suddenly, an ancient hand was laid on her arm. “Please, miss, if I might have a word or two with you” a quavery voice said, in heavily accented English. “You are from London, yes? And you are familiar with a certain shop there, one that Muggles might not know about?” She whispered “Muggles” as though just saying the word too loudly might bring them into her shop. But there was no one else there. From the looks of the shop, it wasn’t very often that someone else was there. And if the elderly witch was talking about Borgin and Burkes, she most like was going to talk about dark magic, something Dahlia was very careful to steer clear of. Dahlia very briefly thought of pulling away, and walking very quickly out the door. After all, the crone in front of her could hardly chase her. But wasn’t she here for an adventure? Her trip would be over the next day. She might as well squeeze as much excitement into it as possible. And yet the feeling of bravery was new to her, and it didn’t feel quite right, like wearing someone else’s robes.

Gathering up her courage, and wondering if she’d remembered to put her wand in her robe, Dahlia turned to the woman and said “Yes? What can I do for you?” in her brightest voice.

The woman grinned as though reading Dahlia’s thoughts. “Don’t worry, my child, nothing bad will come of you in my shop. I only ask of you to carry something with you when you return to London. It’s too far for any of my owls, to make such a trip over the ocean. And Muggle post is so unreliable. And it is only a small thing; it won’t trouble you much at all. You will of course be paid for your service. My customer in London is most anxious for this, but cannot come to collect it himself. He is well known, and his visit here would be noticed. You would just need to bring him a flask, and he will pay you 25 galleons.” Dahlia’s eye brows shot up. That was a lot of money for so small a task. The contents of the flask must be quite rare. Or dangerous.

It didn’t seem so difficult. And 25 galleons would go long way. On the other hand, if the ministry caught her smuggling in some Peruvian potion, getting sacked from her job would be the least of her worries. She opened her mouth to say no, but out came “Of course I’ll help.” She moved like a sleepwalker and put the flask into an inner pocket of her robe. But at the same time, she felt a marvelous frisson of excitement, something Dahlia had never felt before. Then she was told who would contact her upon her return to London, to let her know where and when to bring the flask. Her eye brows flew up again when she heard the name. After all, just about everyone in the wizarding world knew who he was. And most were familiar with his shop, even if they hadn’t all been in it.

Now Dahlia was back in London, in this dark cemetery. She’d gone back to work, and everyone told her that her trip had done wonders for her, that she seemed so much more alive now. She hoped that no one figured out that it was nerves that were giving her vitality. She was still amazed at how out-of-character she’d been behaving. Of course, after the fact, it was easy to see she’d been under the affects of the same charm that drew her to Peru.

Now she looked up, and the figure was drawing near. The lowering sun hit his head, and turned his read hair molten. It’s George Weasley. Dahlia had met him at a party, before her trip. Thinking back, he had seemed awfully interested in her travel plans, especially after she’d told him she didn’t know exactly what she was doing on holiday, that she most likely would go to Bath for a week. He was the one who suggested something more exciting, and said he would send some travel brochures to help make up her mind.

“Hello Dahlia, did you enjoy Peru?” His reached into his robe with a boyish grin, and pulled out a bag of coins and his wand. Dahlia shrank back in alarm, but could not move away. Instead, she reached into her robe, and pulled out the scarf-wrapped flask. She unwound the scarf carefully, and held out the flask. George took it, and tucked it into his robe. Then he handed her the bag of coins, waved his wand and said “Finite incantatum”. Suddenly Dahlia felt different. Of course, all that time, feeling so odd, doing all of those most unDahlia-like things. She’d been under a spell! Somehow she’d been ensorcelled into smuggling! Now she was angry. 25 galleons to risk her career, her reputation, and possibly even her freedom. If she hadn’t been under some kind of enchantment, she never would have said yes. But even as she thought this, Dahlia was remembering the marvelous adventure she had been on, the exhilarating feeling she’d had when she took the flask from the old witch. She looked at George and asked “Why did you do that to me? Why did you put me under a spell?”

George laughed and said “because you asked me to!” Dahlia gasped in amazement. “I asked you to?” Dahlia was astonished. “I don’t remember doing any such thing! I was all set to go on holiday to Bath, and the next thing I know I’m looking at brochures for Peru and Antarctica.”

Then George explained. He was planning a new service, one that got people to try new things, to step outside their own limitations. He had talked to Dahlia at the party, and Dahlia had wistfully said she wished she was brave enough to travel somewhere different, like Peru, instead of taking the same old trip to Bath she took every year. George asked if she would be interested in trying out his new service. Since she would be his first test subject, not only would she get her vacation at no charge, he would pay her 25 galleons. He promised her that she would be perfectly safe at all times, and would do nothing dangerous or illegal on her trip.

“But I did do something illegal”, Dahlia said. “I sMuggled in the potion in the flask.”

George said “Oh, this?” and pulled out the stopper. “There’s nothing illegal about this. We just let you think so, to make the trip more exciting. It’s a Muggle brew I like.” He drank some of the bubbling liquid, and offered the flask to Dahlia. “Try it, it’s very good. The Muggles call it root beer.”

Clubs and associations homework

2009-02-28T11:58:00.000-08:00

HAGS: Hogwarts Apparition Game Society: This was meant to be a sort of hide and seek game for students who have been licensed to apparate. It was founded by one of the less intelligent students, who forgot that apparition is blocked at Hogwarts.

SQUEALers: Student QUilt, Embroidery or Adornment League: A group of students who learn the Muggle needle arts. Typically these skills are practiced non-magically, but can also be done using enchanted tools.

The THE Club: Top Healing Embodied: An organization that prides itself on indentifying the best healers in the Wizarding world. Only top healers are allowed to join. (Some people find this organization rather elitist)

FIRE and ICE: Flying Incantations, Riding Elements, and In-air Cartwheel Exhibitions: A club to learn and practice stunt flying on brooms.

Muggle Studies homework

2009-02-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

I must confess, I do have a soft spot for Muggles. I thought that would make this part of our homework easy, but it only helped a little. But I must say, Muggles can be very creative in overcoming their lack of magic.

This was definitely the easiest one for me, because I'm a big fan of the game it's from. This is a club from a Muggle game called "baseball". Only they don't call it a club, they call it a bat. Since Muggles can't use brooms, they play this game by running around on the ground. The "pitcher" throws a ball at a batter, who uses the "bat" to hit the ball, similar to hitting a bludger. Then the batter runs around the "bases" as fast as he can, while the other team tries to catch the ball and tag him with it. Some Muggles are as big of fans of baseball as we are of Quidditch.

This is called a "can opener". Muggles buy some kinds of food in metal containers called "cans". They are sealed up tight and keep the food from spoiling. But since the metal is so hard, it requires a special tool to cut them open. The round pieces are a sharp cutting edge, and a gear that moves the can around while it's getting cut. There's a handle on the other side that makes the can go around. I do have a can opener myself, but it isn't like this one. Mine used a sort of Muggle magic called "electricity" that is somehow stored in the walls.

This is called a "lawn mower". Muggles use it to keep the grass in their lawns short. Sometimes they have motors, which makes them noisy and smelly. Other ones just have turning blades that move when the mower is pushed. Those are quiet, but harder to push.

This is called an "iron" even though I'm not sure if it's made with iron or not. This get's hot, and Muggles use it to get the wrinkles out of their clothes. They put the clothing on a padded board and then move the flat part of the iron around on top, smushing out the wrinkles.

Spells and Incantations

2009-02-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

Wow, we got a LOT of homework this week. Being the clever claw that I am, I'll knock off the sections one by one. I don't want to be here working feverishly away on Saturday!

Spell Creation: Come up with an incantation for the following situations. Creating our own spells and charms is NOT easy, but I do adore a challenge like that.

1- A fellow classmate never lets you speak in a conversation. What incantation do you mutter under your breath? What happens to your classmate when you say the incantation? Silencio of course would work. Then the other speaker loses the ability to speak. But that's kind of obvious. The classmate knows full well what's been done, and then one has to worry about turn-about. So I've come up with a little beauty of my own, Blankus. It causes the speaker to forget what they were saying. Much harder for the recipient to figure out what happened, unless used too often.

2- You’ve just entered a Muggle city in complete wizard clothing and a restroom cannot be found to change out of your outfit. What charm or spell do you say to change what you are wearing? An invisibility cloak would be very handy at a time like this. One could change underneath it with impunity. Barring that, I think I would use a switching spell we learned in Transfiguration. And I could also possibly use Repello Muggletum to keep away the muggles until I was finished, and then cancel it with Finite Incantatem.

3- You are riding a bicycle along on a country road and suddenly notice your tire is flat and needs air. What spell do you perform to give your tire air? First I would use a Reparo spell, to be sure that whatever caused it to go flat was fixed. Then I would use Inflatio or a Refilling Charm to reinflate it. Of course, one must use care not to overinflate the tire, and cause it to blow up. That would be a little harder to fix, as well as drawing attention of any muggles in the area.

4- You are reading a valuable and one-of-a-kind book, and, quite unusually, you’ve left your quills and parchment in the dorm. You only have your wand for assistance. Create a spell for highlighting or remembering the important pieces of text without harming the book. Hmmm, this is tricky. We Ravenclaws revere books too much to want to cause any permanant damage to them. I might use wand writing to take notes, but it would only be for a small amount. Otherwise the amount of ribbon coming from my wand would be too much. The simplest thing would probably be Accio Bookbag, to bring me my book bag, which of course is always packed and ready with the necessary implements. But to actually highlight in the book, I would use a little darling I created, called Tintus Diaphanous, which lets me use my wand like a highlighter marker. Of course, being magical, not muggle, there's always a little extra. Once I'm done marking all the parts I want to concentrate on, I use Duplicatus to copy it all onto a piece of parchment, allowing me to concentrate on studying just those parts. And then I would use Finite Incantatum on the book to remove the marks.

Quidditch pictures

2009-02-18T14:55:00.000-08:00

Kreacher:

Dursley's house:

George Weasley - "Saintlike. You see. . .I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"

Tonks - Wotcher, Harry.

Mad Eye Moody - Constant Vigilance!

quidditch questions...

2009-02-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

Boy this sure was a lot easier for me than last term's questions. I guess it really does help to read the books right as term is starting. Maybe I'll have to read it again :-)

1. What momentous event was the reason that the members of the Order of the Phoenix felt it necessary to move Harry out of the Dursley’s house?
a. The start of the new school year
b. The Dursleys kicking him out
c. Voldemort’s escape from Azkaban
d. Harry’s upcoming birthday

2. Who revealed the actual date of Harry’s transfer to Voldemort, despite the misinformation the Order had been spreading around that the move would occur on the eve of his actual birthday?
a. Mundungus
b. Snape
c. Yaxley
d. Shacklebolt

3. With the use of Polyjuice Potion (and to confuse any possible attack by Death Eaters), six member of the Order were disguised as Harry and escorted out of Privet Drive, along with the real Harry. Which member of the order did not survive that night?
a. Mad-Eye Moody
b. Nymp0hadora Tonks
c. Hagrid
d. George Weasley

4. Who informed Harry, Ron and Hermione of the bequests left to them in Dumbledore’s will?
a. Kingley Shaclebolt
b. Minerva McGonalgall
c. Arthur Weasley
d. Rufus Scimgeour

5. During the wedding celebration for Bill and Fleur, Kingley Shacklebolt sent a Patronus to tell the guests that the Ministry had fallen, Scrimgeour (the Minister) was dead and the wedding celebration was about to be attacked by Death Eaters. What form did the Patronus take?
a. A lynx
b. An otter
c. A doe
d. A stag

6. Escaping from the wedding to London, our three friends found themselves confronted by a pair of Death Eaters, disguised as workmen. This close brush impressed on them the need to find someplace to hide. Where did they decide to go?
a. The Leaky Cauldron
b. Sirius Black’s house
c. The Dursley’s house
d. Ron’s Auntie Muriel’s house

7. Kreacher’s animosity towards Harry, Ron and especially Hermione (a Mudblood) was well documented in book five, “The Order of the Phoenix.” His initial interaction with them showed that his attitude had not changed. How did they win him over?
a. By giving him clothes and his freedom
b. They didn’t win him over!
c. By giving him something to eat
d. By giving him Regulus Black’s old locket

8. Who did they eventually find was in possession of the locket/Horcrux?
a. Severus Snape
b. Lucius Malfoy
c. Lord Voldemort
d. Dolores Umbridge

9. What did Harry find embedded in the door of Umbrdige’s office?
a. Moody’s magical eye
b. Nymphadora’s purple hair
c. Hedwig’s head
d. George Weasley’s ear

10. After retrieving the Horcrux, they tried to return to their safe place but they were pursued (actually Yaxley tagged along when they disapparated). This meant that the Death Eaters knew their hiding place and they had to go somewhere else. Where did Hermione take them?
a. To Godric’s Hollow
b. To the Forbidden Forest
c. Back to the Burrow
d. To the site of the Quidditch World Cup

Secret Valentine

2009-02-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

I got my Valentine from Wisty! I (very, very briefly) considered waiting until the 14th to open it, then said, nah, can't wait. I got scrumptious umptious truffles (how did she intuit just how much I love truffles? Is she an Occlument?) And then, she got me the cutest little stitch markers. They're conversation hearts! That is just all kinds of wonderful! I use stitch markers for all my projects, and these are just great. And they came in this cute little Valentine box. Thank you sooo much, Wisty!

Here's the whole kit and caboodle:

And here are the stitch markers:

Homework!

2009-02-10T14:36:00.000-08:00

Ok, we've got homework, and I want to jump right to it.

1- What form does your Patronus take? What does it symbolize for you? A cat. They're clever, stealthy, playful, and cuddly, too.

2- Did you bring a cat, an owl, a toad, or other pet with you? What is their name?
A cat. His name is Pepper. He loves people so much, he's more like a dog. He would have hated being left behind while I went to school.

3- What is your favorite class here at Hogwarts? I think I'm best at Herbology. I've even got a Muggle veggie garden, and love flowers. I'd really like to be better at transfiguration, though. That would be very handy.

4- What is worth sneaking out of the castle for, even if you got caught? I'd definitely do it to help a friend or a house-mate, and probably a school-mate, even a Slytherin :-)

5- What has made you laugh so hard that you've had butterbeer come out your nose? I'm president of a local weaving/spinning/knitting/whatever guild, and at the last meeting, a 4 yo was there. When I called the meeting to order, obviously his mom told him it was time to be quiet, because he came up to me and whispered, "it's time for us to be quiet now." I said "you're right, but I'm the one who does get to talk now, because I'm the president." His eyes got big and round, and he made this little "oohhhh" of amazement. I thought I was so cool, until his mom leaned over to him and said "She's the president of the club, honey, not the country."

6- What yarn do you covet? Link please... There's not a very strong brand preference, but I'd love to try sock yarn that's a bamboo/wool blend. The Zitron Trekking Pro Natura looks very interesting.

7- What is your favorite flavor... the one thing you could simply not live without? Is brand important? Chocolate! Brand is not important, but I much prefer dark chocolate over milk or semi-sweet.

8- How many HSKS terms have you participated in? This is my second term.

9- Do you have a birthday, anniversary or other big Muggle event during this year at Hogwarts? If yes, please tell us what. Nothing. My big fun isn't until June, when I have my birthday, and plan on going to Hong Kong and China again, to see my sister and for fun.

10- You in 5 words. Crafty, creative, clever, compassionate, cheeky :-)

More wish list stuff

2009-02-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

Ok, this is a little lame, but after reading Bevin Rae's wish list, I'm going to copy her and put some things about myself for my spoiler to use :-) A little self serving, but hey, if it make life easier for Agatha, it's a good thing, right?

I too love chocolate, the darker the better. And I like it in any form, plain or with fruit and/or nuts. Cocoa is good, too.

Speaking of drinks, I'm a coffee and tea fiend, and like all different flavored coffees and teas, including herbal teas. I especially like jasmine tea, and Earl Grey.

As much as I love knitting, my first love is weaving. I own a few different looms, and will probably be selling the love seat in my den to make room for one of my 2 floor looms :-). I love trying my hand at different techniques, and using different kinds of yarns and fiber to weave with. In the past I've woven with ribbon and rolled paper.

Knitting is definitely second to weaving, and I've been knitting for about 10 years. I've definitely been on a sock knitting kick lately, but I really should take a break, because my cousin is due in 5 weeks, and I should get cracking on something for the baby, so that she gets it while she is still a baby. I will of course also be weaving a baby blanket.

Ironically, the first craft I learned, and was pretty much the only one I did throughout my childhood and twenties, is counted cross stitch. I also did some embroidery, crewel and needlepoint, but mostly cross stitch. Ironically, that's the craft I do the least of now, and I've got a couple of UFOs that are at least 10 years old (hmm, wasn't that about the time I taught myself to knit?) I also do a little beading, and some scrapbooky kinds of things.

My kitchen has a fruit theme going. My favorite fruits are pears and apples.

I'm a total bookworm. I've newly discovered paperbackswap.com, which lets you send off books you don't read anymore, and get others in their place. I got 2 Harry Potter books that way.

I'm working on improving my vegetable garden, both the soil and my skills. I also have a lot of flower planting in my future. I bought a fixer-upper house, and there wasn't a single bed or garden when I moved in, so I've been slowly working on that. I painted one room of my house with yellow vertical stripes. The curtains in that room are purple, and I call it my iris room. It's also my library, which is what happens when a single person buys a 3 bedroom house :-) I'm still trying to decide what the heck to do with my bedroom. I want it soothing and spa-like, a real sanctuary. But for now it's got white carpet, army green walls, and hand-me-down furniture. At some point, I want to rip up the carpet and red0 the hardwood floor underneath (previous owner put down the carpet, not me) then paint and get new furniture.

My favorite colors are in the blue, aqua, lavendar, purple range. I wear a lot of purple, and also a lot of red. I'm definitely a winter. But for the right purposes, I do like hot tropical colors, too.

I play the piano, and I collect sheet music with the name Amy in the title, because that is my muggle name. Just my little bit of egotism, I suppose, which is what this blog entry totally is.

Sort of homework

2009-01-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ok, a wish list. Hmmm, that's a bit of a toughie. I'm pretty well stocked, but lets see what I can come up with.

I've never used the new needles that are made of plastic from casein, and I'd like to try them. I'm pretty sure they don't come in US 1's, which is what I knit socks on, but since I signed up for a bag kit this time around, I'd be happy with whatever size is needed for a bag.

I'm a total stitch marker and row counter nut. I need a LOT of help keeping track of where I am in a pattern, and find I like using stitch markers to mark the beginning of pattern repeats.

I definitely could use some sort of small bags to hold stitch markers, tapestry needles etc inside of my project bags. Something to keep me organized, and to keep the smaller tools from getting lost in the shuffle.

Chibi bent tip darning needles. Love them!

Hmm, did better than I thought. I might even come up with more during term. Allergies: no food or fiber allergies, just bee stings.

Antsy

2009-01-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Is this a typical Ravenclaw or what? I can't wait for term to start, and I even can't wait for homework! I'm just so giddy with excitement!

First day of the new term

2009-01-24T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ok, how exciting is this. I'm starting my second term at Hogwarts, and I get to stay in Ravenclaw with my old housemates. I'm really excited to see what this term holds in store for us! More later, I've got to start getting my blog ready.