FLYING ASSIGNMENT - HLBOES

Here is my assignment for Flying Class. It turned out to be just the right size for a juggling ball! They would make cool covers for them, or for poi....hmmm.

POTIONS QUIZ - HLBOES

1. Name the two known Potions professors at Hogwarts during the books. Include which book(s) each of them were professors during. (1)

Snape (Books 1-5) and Slughorn (Books 6-7)

2. Name the five pieces of equipment that a student of Potions is expected to have. (1)

1 standard size 2 pewter cauldron
1 set brass scales
1 basic potions ingredient set
Glass or crystal phials
Magical Draughts and Potions (book)


3. Give me the name and the person who invented the potion that is used as a remedy for the common cold. (1)

Pepperup Potion was invented by Glover Hipworth.

4. What does the Polyjuice potion do? Name at least four of the ingredients. Tell me at least two of the characters who used this potion in the books and tell me what it did to them. (2)

-Polyjuice Potion allows the drinker to take the form of another person.
-Ingredients include: lacewing flies, leeches, powdered bicorn horn, knotgrass, fluxweed, shredded boomslang skin, and a bit of whoever you want to turn into (hair, fingernail clipping...)
-Hermione took the form of Millicent's cat (kind of...)
Harry and Ron took the form of Crabbe and Goyle
Barty Crouch Jr.'s mother took it to take the form of her son
Barty Crouch Jr. took the form of Madeye Moody
Crabbe and Goyle used it to take the form of first year girls

5. What is a bezoar and what is it used for? (1)

A Bezoar is a stone (really a petrified hairball) found in the stomach of a goat. It is an antidote to most poisons.

6. Tell me what the Amorentia potion is. What would yours smell like? (1)

Amorentia is a love potion. Mine would smell like pine trees and peppermint...and coffee.

7. Name three Potions ingredients that can be found in the Muggle world. What are each of these items used for in each situation? How to Muggles and Wizards use these things differently? (2)

Ginger roots are used in a wit-sharpening potion. In the muggle world, ginger is used in cooking.

Porcupine quills are used in a boil cure potion, but have no particular use in the muggle world.

Leeches are used in a polyjuice potion, and at one time were used medically in the muggle world. (eew!)

8. What is your favorite Potion and why? (1)

I find a wit-sharpening potion to be very useful. (Particularly for Potions Quizes!)

9. There are at least two Potions which are mentioned as being illegal to the students at Hogwarts, but they get used in the series. Which two are these and what do they do? (2)

Love Potions are banned. They make a person fall in love with someone else.
Polyjuice potion is not allowed either which transforms a person into someone else.

10. Name the three ingredients in the Draught of the Living Death. In what year do the Hogwarts students brew this potion? (2)

Sopophorus beans, wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots
Harry makes it in his sixth year.

11. We all know that Remus Lupin is a werewolf. During his time teaching at Hogwarts, Snape makes him the wolfsbane potion to counteract some of these nasty effects. There is one ingredient which Lupin says will render the effects useless. What is this ingredient and why is it important? (1)

Sugar. Lupin wishes he could use it because the potion tastes foul.


Extra Credit

There are many mentions of Potions in various Muggle books. Name at least one reference to any well-known Muggle book (either one that does not have anything to do with magic or one that has a very archaic view of it, so DO NOT give me a fantasy novel). What is this Potion used for? By whom? How do Muggle views of Potions differ from our own? Is there an ingredients list to this particular Potion? If so, what items are necessary to make it? Are there any Potions that exist in the wizarding world that have similar effects? If so, which one(s)? I want at least five decent sentences. (5)

It's not a book, but I hope a play counts! In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet takes a potion that causes her to fall into a deep sleep that makes it appear that she is dead. She does this to fake her own death so that she and Romeo can be together. As a muggle, this did not occur to Romeo (a wizard would have at least considered the possibility), and, since he did not receive the message telling him of the plan, he killed himself by drinking poison. There is no ingredients list in the play, but the effects seem to be the same as our potion: the Draught of Living Death.

POTIONS ASSIGNMENT - HLBOES
For Potions Class, our first assignment was to make fingerless gloves to keep our hands warm in the dungeons during class. It seemed to take me forever, but I finally managed to finish them!

ARITHMANCY - HLBOES

Arithmancy was, not surprisingly, invented by the Greeks to look at various personalities and, in some cases, to predict the future.

I have to say that I had fun with the personality test and I like the puzzle-type aspect of it. I also admire the creativity of those who came up with it.

After having done the math, it appears to be a basic personality test. However, I found aspects in all nine of the categories that matched my personality as well as aspects in all of them that did not match my personality. I think any number could equally fit just about any personality.

My numbers were 5, 3, and 2
Character: 5 - Five is the number of instability and imbalance, indicating change and uncertainty. Fives are drawn to many things at once but commit to none. They are adventurous, energetic and willing to take risks. They enjoy travel and meeting new people but may not stay in one place very long. Fives can be conceited, irresponsible, quick-tempered and impatient.

Watch out! I'm 'unstable and unbalanced'! I actually do have a lot of trouble 'commiting' to things. I like to keep my options open! Used to be adventurous...had enough of that to last awhile! I resent the rest of the statement! (see 3 below - 'easily offended')

Heart: 3 - Three represents the idea of completeness or wholeness, as in the threesomes past-present-future and mind-body-spirit. Three indicates talent, energy, an artistic nature, humor, and social ease. Threes are often lucky, easygoing, and highly successful, but they can also be unfocused, easily offended, and superficial.

Not true! Not true! I can't believe it would say that about me! - just kidding! Ok, um, 'social ease'??...try again! I try to be easygoing, but refer to number 5 - 'quick-tempered and impatient'!

Social: 2 - Two represents interaction, two-way communication, cooperation, and balance. Twos are imaginative, creative, and sweet natured. Peace, harmony, commitment, loyalty, and fairness are characteristic. But two also introduces the idea of conflict, opposing forces, and the contrasting sides of things: night and day, good and evil. Twos can be withdrawn, moody, self-conscious and indecisive.

Apparently, I'm balanced in an unbalanced sort of way? Peace and conflict living harmony....no wonder I'm so messed up! Ok, I have to agree with all of the last four descriptives!

Well, it looks like there's a lot of conflict in my personality, and I guess I would have to agree with that....

I don't believe in predicting the future and, honestly, would rather not know. (If I had known half the stuff that has happened in my life before it happened, I probably would have jumped ship a long time ago!) As for predicting the future in this way, I think you’d have better luck with a magic eight ball.

FLYING ASSIGNMENT - HLBOES
Our assignment for flying class was to make our very own snitch and to personalize it! Surprised at my choice? No, I didn't think so! The paw is, of course, from Kaae's Tiny House Socks pattern.

CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES - HLBOES

Here's my kitty for Care of Magical Creatures Class! I've been reminded by this assignment just how long it really has been since I last crocheted anything! It's really NOT my forte, but I thought it would be fun to give this little stretching kitty a go.

QUIDDITCH!! - HLBOES

There are seven players on a quidditch team: three chasers, two beaters, one keeper, and one seeker. There are four balls involved: the quaffle, two bludgers, and one snitch. The quidditch pitch itself is 500 feet long and 180 feet wide with three hoops, or rings on 50-foot high poles on each end of the pitch.

The Quaffle is a red, football-shaped (or soccer-shaped, American) leather ball, 12 inches in diameter. It is also called the Pennifold Quaffle for a witch who, around 1711, bewitched the quaffle so that it would sink slowly to the ground when dropped so that chasers could catch it easily. Bludgers are heavy, iron balls, 10 inches in diameter, that are bewitched to chase after whoever happens to be closest to them. The snitch is a small, golden, walnut-sized, winged ball that is very fast and difficult to see when flying fifty feet above the ground at a fast speed.

The object of the game is to score the most points by putting the quaffle through one of three fifty-foot high rings on the opponents' side of the pitch (10 points per score) and by the seeker's catching the snitch (150 points). The game ends when the snitch is caught by the seeker.

The chasers pass the quaffle to each other in an attempt to put it through the opponents' rings, while the beaters try to prevent the opposing team's chasers from scoring by directing bludgers at the chasers. The keeper must prevent the opposing team's chasers from putting the quaffle through his (or her) team's rings.

Players may fly as high as they like, but may not fly past the boundaries of the pitch itself. If a player does cross the boundaries, the quaffle must be surrendered to the opposing team. Penalties for fouls may be taken by a single chaser facing the opposing keeper only. Other players must stay clear of the penalty area. (A list of common fouls, such as blagging, blatching, and blurting, may be found in Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.) The quaffle may be taken from another player, but grabbing another player or their broom in order to do so is forbidden. There is no substitution of players. Wands are permited on the pitch, but may not be used on players, brooms, referees, balls, or spectators.

All references: Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp

GHOST QUIZ - HLBOES

The quiz question is: How many ghosts were there in the Harry Potter series and name them.

I know of hundreds of ghosts in the Harry Potter series (at least 20 of which live at Hogwarts), but can only name 6 who live at Hogwarts (7 if you include poltergeists) and 2 of the guests at the Deathday Party:

Nearly Headless Nick of Gryffindor (or Sir Nicholas)
The Fat Friar of Hufflepuff
The Bloody Baron of Slytherin
The Grey Lady of Ravenclaw
Professor Bins who still teaches History of Magic
Moaning Myrtle of the Girls' Toilet
Peeves isn't really a ghost, but I count him anyway cause he's cool.
Hundreds of ghosts attended Nearly Headless Nick's 500th Deathday Party. The two that were named were Sir Patrick Delaney Podmore and The Wailing Widow

There were the appearances of Harry's parents, Sirius, and Lupin in the last book and of Cedric, Bertha Jorkins and Frank Bryce as well in The Goblet of Fire, but none of them were really ghosts.

WHAT A SURPRISE!! - HLBOES

I received a lovely surprise from Bebe Bluestocking today! An RAOK gift! And it really was a surprise! My parents flooed me that a package had arrived. (I have my packages sent to their place because, besides being easier to find, even the most well trained owl might mistake my little fur balls for a snack!) I was SURE it was the hat from my dueling partner and was ready to admit defeat! However, when I opened the package, there was no hat, but several fantastic things! My parents watched, bemused, as I ooohed and aaahed over everything. (They don't quite get this Harry Potter/Ravelry thing) Anyway, here's what I got!!

(If you click on the picture, you can see everything better)


A lovely Christmas card (I LOVE snowflakes!). It even had some Welsh in it! SO COOL!

A Jeeves and Wooster book (I don't have this one, Bebe, THANK YOU! I can't wait to start it. PG Wodehouse is so difficult to find on this side of the pond!)

A BEAUTIFUL row counter bracelet (I don't know if it was on purpose, but the cross and beads are yellow! Go Huffles!) I'm not sure how to use it yet, but there are instructions, thank goodness! The counters are made of shells. It's GEORGIOUS!

A cleverly designed little wire nameplate with my HP name (it will go on my desk at the office to amuse and confuse my coworkers!)

A lovely note from Bebe about herself. (Thanks, Bebe, I'll definitely check out those sermons!)

DIOLCH YN FAWR IAWN, BEBE!!! THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH!!!

APPARITIONS ASSIGNMENT - HLBOES

Our first assignment in Apparition was to make a mug cosy in our house colors! I had an idea in my head, but couldn't find the pattern I thought existed, so I just started knitting and this is what came out! It's not quite what I expected, but I'm pretty pleased with the result. It turned out a lot BIGGER than I expected because I added the single crochet edging as an afterthought to keep the edges from curling. Anyway, I have some larger mugs that it will probably fit better.

MY OWL

My owl is a Flammulated Owl. My Grandfather sent him to me from America. Flammulated owls are normally found in the Rocky Mountains and from as far north as British Columbia, Canada to as far south as Southern Mexico.

'Flammulous' comes from the Latin word for 'flame' and it is supposed to refer to their coloring. They like to live in pine forests so that they can blend into the bark and they live in holes in the trees that are usually made by woodpeckers. Their call sounds like someone blowing across the top of a bottle. It is very deep and soft.

For food the owl forages for insects and spiders at night, so moths, crickets, caterpillars, and beetles are popular treats. They don't usually eat mice or other vertibrates. (Which is why I have a Flammulated Owl-other owls would eat my hamster!)

A small owl, it is sometimes called the Dwarf Owl, Flammulated Scops Owl, or Flammulated Screech Owl. They grow to be 6-7 inches tall (15-17 cm) and weigh about 1.59-2.22 ounces (45-63 grams).

THE TERM IS FINALLY BEGINNING!

This is the first day of term for us at Hogwarts! I have been waiting so long (and a bit impatiently) for this day! I have my swaper and swapee for HLBOES and am already gathering ideas!

I'm also working on my first assignment in Ancient Runes. Protective slippers! They'll be cozy for evenings by the commonroom fire!

Having already had an early Divination assignment, I forsee a fluctuation of time ahead as two other Hogwarts terms will be starting for me at different times!(I must be getting a timeturner! How fun!) I think it would be unwise for me, at this point, to try to keep up with two journal scrolls (blogs), so I'll try to keep my updates separate and note what time I am in! How on earth did Hermione keep track of it all?!