Disclaimer - It's all JKR's if you don't know that by now frankly I'm surprised you've carried on reading this long
December 2nd
Well I forgot to take this journal with me while I was away, but the last two weeks has been just what I needed. Helga and I studying together rather than in structured lessons, the amount of Herbology and Astronomy I learnt from Helga and Hector respectively was astonishing. The rain and the cold were unpleasant at times but with liberal use of warming and impervious charms we got through it. The only real hardship was in watching the footing. It was quite possibly the most relaxing single week of my life. More than Hogwarts after the exams because there were no Dursleys looming, plus I can't help but feel I earned this break more than I did the breaks I took at Hogwarts.
Did some duelling both with weapons and magic. I think Helga and I will have a problem in that we don't know that many curses or even shields, we can get to an okay level but not really beyond that to become great. Maybe we just have to get creative with what we do know, we should probably duel more often, with magic, not weapons. Helga with daggers in her hands is not a prospect I'd like to take on too often. I can only imagine what she'll be like with claws from her form.
Neither of us have managed to get too much further with that to be honest. I think not having a proper guide to the process is hurting us and we haven't got anywhere near the Transfiguration bits yet.
Leola came to the end of fourth year in Charms this week so she decided to take a break and use the extra time on Runes. It's probably a good idea. Ogham Runes are insanely complex but she wants them done by Christmas. Apparently it's all gravy after that because nothing is as difficult as the Ogham.
She mentioned something about Rune families as well which sounds kind of interesting. The two Futhark alphabets and Ogham are all related and interact rather well, the same for the Afro-Persian systems Nubian, Bantu and Cuneiform, as well as Sanskrit and Sino-Tibetan, the Asian systems. Each of these families work well together in Enchanting though each seems to have their specialities. I'm going to be learning all of them and they won't be as difficult as Ogham apparently. The only one that comes close is the Sino-Tibetan only because there are so many non-magical runes to sift through before you get to the good stuff. I don't know what's going on with the four new Rune alphabets. All I know is one comes from the Eskimo's, one from the Australian Aborigines, one from the Maori and Pacific islanders and then another monstrous one like Sino-Tibetan that Leola's loosely calling Mayan, which appears to cover the whole of North, Central and South America.
I've also been using the former masonry time to get ahead in Transfiguration and Defence this week. I think I was inspired by the duelling while we were away, it was good not to have to focus on fighting and surviving for a while so I think I may have been slacking slightly in my Defence studying. When it comes down to it though, I'm good at it and I quite enjoy the competitive aspect of it, pitting myself against someone or thing more powerful.
Maybe I'm an adrenaline junkie, that might explain some of the situations I've got myself in, maybe after surviving rather than actually living when I was with 'them' I enjoy any situation that makes me feel alive. I suppose 'Harry hunting' was part of that too. Not that I enjoyed it obviously but it was one of the few reminders that I was alive. Perhaps subconsciously I've latched onto that and find myself in similar situations as some sort of in built need for the reminder of the exhilaration of living borne of my shitty formative years. Wow. That was pretty philosophical. Look at me getting all introspective. Hermione would be proud. So would Helga actually. Of course it's most likely bollocks.
Now that I've got the theory sorted I've found Transfiguration really isn't that difficult. It's a bit of a challenge certainly, and the time it takes me to complete the transformation is a touch too long compared to true masters like McGonagall or Dumbledore, but then again its Charms that's my forte.
I'm honestly not sure if I think of myself as more gifted with Charms or Defence anymore. Part of me clings to Defence because of my joys teaching the DA but I don't have the range of Defence books that I do Charms and I think of the two I'm going to end up knowing far more about Charms. Perhaps I'll have to learn more magical combat and all that from Godric or Salazar, either way I can go back when I choose to and I'm not setting foot in the Room of Requirement to make that move until I'm completely confident of my skills in a fight.
December 9th
The animal meditation made a difference! I still felt a tingle but there was definitely something else there something cerebral but primal. I need to work on it more.
Managed to get away for a bit yesterday and got to the alley. It was odd, I'm not sure what I expected it to be like but I kind of thought it would be the same. Of course looking back I kind of realised the alley is reminiscent of something out of a Dickens novel which is about 900 years into the future.
Ollivanders was a hut. A nice, stone built, sturdy hut but it was still a hut. Gringott's looked the same though. I should think about starting an account with them. I'm not sure if they charge interest but the amount I would get on the thousand galleons I brought back with me would be interesting. There were a few other shops and the alley itself was about a quarter of the size it is in my time and hidden by muggle repelling charms but not properly cut off. The Cauldron is still there but it looks worse than ever. Really the few shops there sold the essentials, potions supplies, enchanted artefacts, magical armour, there was no time or room for frivolities. No Gambol & Japes, no Quality Quidditch, I don't even know if Quidditch has been invented yet, I know Helga never said anything when she saw my broom. I'll have to take it out and fly soon. It's been too long and I've been too busy, I think I need to make time. As relaxing as my Sundays can be I think I need to cut down on the constant work and give myself a bit of time off. Maybe start tracking on my own just for a walk to clear my head I could actually try tracking on a broom! Not sure my eyesight's up to it but I could certainly cover more ground. It's one of the things I'm looking forward too about the transformation, aside the connection to Dad and Sirius obviously, the fact that the transformation causes physical changes to the human senses and physical attributes more in keeping with the animal. Of course it's little mentioned but noted in one of the books I read, that the opposite is true as well, and given enough time in the form, the animal adopts human attributes that improve its own physical characteristics. Most common is intelligence, this is obviously expected as it's still a human mind in the animal's body but I think McGonagall as a cat may have noticed her cat forms back legs get more powerful, or her front legs more dextrous.
I'm fairly pleased with the results of the shopping actually being so few shops I was able to cover quite a lot of ground and I hope people will be happy with what I got them. Everything is kind of practical, but in this lifestyle I figure it's probably more useful.
One other thing I did manage to do was training with the spear and the swordstaff, they had me transfigure the staff into both and see how they felt. I liked the spear a lot but there was something about the swordstaff that really appealed. I actually ended up transfiguring it again so the staff had a spear at the bottom and sword at the top. The thing was lethal and fantastic. Obviously sparring with it was dangerous but having charmed the edges blunt practicing my forms was a whole lot more exciting.
December 16th
Well Ogham's finished and we're moving on to Nubian and Bantu after Christmas, apparently they were a speciality of Leola's teacher, not especially complicated but a lot of fun. Some of the specific enchantments sound incredibly useful as well, there's one for water purification, one for increased water production, one for easing plant growth. In contrast to the Runes themselves the enchantments are rather complex, they're also temperamental and prone too failing after a few years.
This is largely because they are not compatible with a gemstone base, and unless the bones of one of the truly powerful magical creatures are used as the base for Rune carving the magic eventually fades. Even worse in that part of the world there are no Dragons, Griffins hardly ever fly there, no one will ever get the bones of a Phoenix, Basilisks are too rare, Unicorns won't set foot in such a warm climate and Sphinxes won't go south of the Sahara. That leaves a Tebo which will last a few years longer than most but will fade, a Runespoor which are hardly abundant and a Nundu which no one has a hope of killing.
I'm really looking forward to the enchantment lessons even after that little rant, I think the whole issues with compatibility of various enchantments and wards with different materials, and even creatures. Makes me wonder how hard properly enchanting a weapon will be. First there's the metal or alloy then the wood or some other base material then there's the base for enchantment. Is it a gemstone or animal bones or other parts? Which enchantments can you put on it with the base materials you have? Have the necessary rune sets and grounding rune sets been put together and tested?
Leola is showing me some enchantments with Ogham and Futhark families this week. I really can't wait to get started with that and wards.
Spell casting study is going more slowly without Charms. I'm doing some reading into Charms not covered by OWLs and NEWTs. Some are good but time is a factor.
Weapons wise I've been practicing with my transfigured swordstaff-spear thing this week. The balance of the thing is off but some of the movements I can do with it! I scared Hector a couple of times when it was his sparring session.
The forge has got interesting as well. I had been largely doing manual labour, just hitting things with hammers and pouring molten metal into moulds, now though I'm finding out about making different alloys and the various types of steel, it's much more academic. A nice change of pace really. It makes me think I'll actually be able to do stuff myself someday rather than people pointing and telling me what to do when I'm in there.
I introduced the idea of Christmas decorations as well. The ladies rather like the tree and decorating it today turned into good Transfiguration practice for the three of us. Each of us tried to outdo the other. Me and Helga were stumped when Leola involved animating charms and we ended up with a choir of angels circling the top. I haven't studied the right charms yet and Helga just isn't as skilled as her mother as it all ended up making the thing look better though it all worked out.
December 23rd
The forge was closed up today. The fire will be kept going it's a bitch to relight once out apparently. I of course thought back to my 11th birthday and Hagrid in the cabin with his umbrella. When I asked why not use magic to light the fire again, the look I got from Gerhalt! I'm not entirely sure anyone's ever had more disappointment etched on their face at any one time.
It turns out that one thing I should have picked up is that magic and metalwork do not mix. All magic should be kept outside the forge. It turns out that ambient magic weakens the structural integrity of the metal. It's believed that there are certain spells that actually help the integrity but they seem to be limited to the goblins, though Gerhalt did say when the Vikings came over some years ago there were rumours of unnaturally strong weapons so if I'm interested in it I might have to go to Scandinavia at some point. It's also why Rune work is so important. Gerhalt actually carves runes into a number of his works, he's a bit of a Rune scholar himself it turns out, but Runes are the only way that is widely known for enchanting metal items.
We, that is me and Helga, also answered another question that had bothered me for some time. If you're out of a Potions ingredient why can't you transfigure it from something else?
Helga had obviously never known Transfiguration and I'd never been good enough at Potions so neither of us had been able to find the answers. Until now anyway. Since it's so close to Christmas the pair of us decided our respective lessons should be more relaxed. For Helga that meant experimenting with Potions. We were making the Wit-Sharpening Solution and used transfigured Jobberknoll feathers, due to the explosion we established that that didn't work. I figured maybe it was just that the inherent magic couldn't be replicated, otherwise anyone whose poisoned could transfigure something into a bezoar and be fine, but Potions didn't work when we used transfigured nettles either.
I finally let Helga loose on the Transfiguration section of my library to help me try and find my answer. We discovered it today in a book that looked to be about 800 years old, oddly about 200 years in the future, it was sort of a beginner's book which was somewhat embarrassing but none of my more modern ones touched upon the subject. It took us the best part of the day to interpret it but we decided when you transfigure something you change its physical appearance and characteristics but not its chemical or magical nature.
Between the two of us we manage to distil an explanation we're comfortable with. Transfiguration is like a solid illusion. A wooden match transfigured to a metal needle looks like a metal needle, feels like a metal needle and can be physically used like a metal needle, but fundamentally it's still a wooden match, effectively the molecules that make up the match are looking and acting like metal but neither chemistry nor magic is fooled. Conjuration is the same as it's a fancy term for transfiguring something from air molecules.
The most interesting aspect I found to it is the practical side. As an example a conjured python is useful, a conjured viper isn't as a python can physically squeeze the life out of someone which will kill them, a viper which uses its venom, a chemical toxin to subdue its prey, won't cause the same damage because the venom isn't the right chemical composition to harm someone in the same way.
I almost forgot about the Enchanting! I was too caught up in today's work with Helga, well it seems that Ogham Runes are rather powerful and so work much better for the first level of enchantment, that of Runes only. Using these Runes Leola showed me some of the swords Gerhalt had added to and what they could do, nothing unbelievable, just lightened, kept clean, sharpened and strengthened but we then compared a sword with those in Ogham and those in Elder Futhark. The difference was remarkable. Grounding Rune sets are different and Younger Futhark works rather well, one theory is that it developed purely for that reason. We then moved on to a sword in which the grounding rune sets for each of the equivalent Charms had been added. That sword was probably more effective than the Ogham sword. The final sword was one where the grounding rune set and the Ogham runes were used together, linked by an Elder Futhark seal perfected for the task. That one was brilliant. Even I could tell the handling was great and I know enough about swords in general to be mightily impressed.
As part of my relaxed lesson I brought back the Patronus charm. I know I wrote I was going to try and teach it but I never got round to it. I was sort of distracted by the Halloween issue. The two were entranced with Prongs. I think the fact that Dementors aren't really a threat in Wales at this time makes the need to learn the Charm lower but it's still a cracking bit of magic.
As it happens both got mist their first time and didn't progress that far but I think they're both desperate to continue and we'll probably end up carrying on with it until they both get it.
December 24th
Okay I know I don't often write everyday but Leola's been bouncing about all day. We practiced the Patronus and both are starting to take form, not sure what they are yet but its progress.
More importantly she thinks she might be able to find grounding Runes for a Patronus, an actual physical weapon against a Dementor! It's insanely complicated because it's an emotion powered spell so somehow you need to ground emotion too. Apparently she's been reading about Maori runes and their runes supposedly reflect their nature. In theory that's war-like, in fact it's passionate, that's how she explained it to me. Because the runes reflect passion and the emotions constantly close to the surface, grounding positive emotion may be a distinct possibility!
December 25th
They made me a pensieve! I don't bloody believe it! I have my very own bona fide pensieve! It's beautiful. About the size of Dumbledore's but obsidian rather than granite and the Runes are etched in a silvery-white metal. Gerhalt says it's pretty pure but he doesn't know what it is. I have a funny feeling its Platinum! The thing is stunning. Of course it needed a demonstration. Thinking of a suitable memory was rather difficult, the good ones are almost all at the school Helga hasn't yet founded and doesn't know that she will found, while the majority of the rest are unpleasant. I made the excuse of not wanting to influence the future by letting them know something from it. I showed them me beating Hector with my swordstaff-spear thing last week instead.
That's another thing Helga and Leola made me my pensieve while Hector and Gerhalt gave me a properly made version of my transfigured weapon. It's incredible! 7 feet of metal with a 2 foot long blade curved like an exaggerated Spartan short sword is what Gerhalt said it starts off narrow at the wooden end, about two inches wide or so, then curves out and round to about four inches at its widest point about two thirds of the way along the blade before finishing in a really sharp point. The staff part is four and a half feet long and has an oval shape cross section for aligning the edge of the blade steel about an inch wide on its long axis. Leola got it so its wrapped in unbroken wood, and she carved enchanted it with both the Ogham runes and the Younger Futhark grounding. The bottom has a six inch metal spike for my spear. I honestly don't know which I prefer, the pensieve or my 'bladed staff' as it's now been called.
To be honest I feel inadequate having bought my presents. I got Gerhalt a set of Dragon hide gear to work in the forge, Hector a prototype wizard tent for his tracking hunting and foraging. Helga I got a Silver cauldron she wanted to try some of the more advanced potions and Leola I gave some of the Basilisk ribs for her to carve onto.
I know they all liked what I gave them but honestly they've completely blown me away.
December 26th
Today it all hit the fan. It was just me and Leola pretty much morning till evening. She said something about a Yule tradition that Helga spends one day with her uncle's spoiling her. Not sure I believe it.
And another thing, they don't actually have Christmas. The whole concept of religion is absurd to the whole family as it's a known fact the Egyptian and Greek deities were wizards. No word about Christians but it just didn't hold with the magical community, or it hasn't yet. They do however like the sentiment of the gift giving and showing appreciation for loved ones so have adopted that. I thought maybe Pagan religions were followed but was laughed at for that as well. Apparently paganism was invented by muggles who had a vague idea of the natural world in terms of the seasons, and some rituals they had seen magical people do on the various solstices or on certain planetary alignments. Normally they give gifts on the solstice but let it later to the 25th purely for my benefit.
Anyway back to the problem with Leola, pretty much as soon as they left and sat me down and said she thought of me as a son. I choked up, I had been thinking of her as a surrogate mum for a long time but to hear she thinks the same was better than any other present she could give me. The problem started after that. What was it she said? 'If I'm to be your mother I would and should know all about your life'. I obviously tensed at that, she had a fair idea about the Dursleys of course from the medical check up but seeing it in the pensieve would be something else.
I gave her two hours or so worth of Dursley memories, a bit of the cupboard, the cleaning, the cooking, the gardening, the meal sizes and general treatment. I tried to get away without showing her the beatings but she gave me a look. It was one I'd seen Mrs Weasley give the twins when she knew they were keeping something back. I didn't let her see much. A bit of Harry hunting, one time with Petunia and the frying pan, the thing with Marge and Ripper, and Vernon with his fists once. I didn't really need to show more. She knew they happened and I know she knew. She held me afterwards. I was crying from the looks of things I'm not sure she could cry anymore.
It's odd, it's kind of ingrained into me that my childhood really could have been worse. I DID eat, I DID have shelter, at least I wasn't on the streets that sort of thing. Particularly having come back to this time and seen how some kids have to live now. But to lay it all out there like that and have an outsider say it isn't right, that there worse than any animals, validated isn't the right word because as I say I never thought of it as being especially bad, despite being a poster child for abused kids. It's more like my hearts eased because someone has let me know it was wrong.
It was after lunch, I cooked, first time since I've been here actually. I enjoyed it. Doing it because I want rather than have to, it's an important distinction. Very important. It was then Leola wanted to see my first year at school. How do you then explain to a mother that her currently fourteen year old daughter's name will still be known in a thousand years? That you were sent back not to some arbitrary point to meet Leola as an Enchantress who can train you but to meet her daughter as a Founder of your future school?
She was livid. Partly with me for interfering with her daughter's life, it was fine to place the demands on her shoulders but her daughter's was something else. I left the room for the woods outside. It was a hissy fit. An understandable one I reckon. It hurt, the woman had just said she wanted to be my mother, then the minute something happened to impact her REAL child's life all she was focused on was that.
It was two hours later I heard her shouting for me. Her voice sounded kind of hoarse. She'd been doing it for a while. Her face when I got down from the tree I was sitting in and I looked at her was something else. I had thought I was done crying for the day but I wasn't. I've never been a big crier, it wasn't exactly encouraged in my childhood, but seeing Leola like that so upset, with herself for handling it badly and distraught that I wasn't around her, to say it felt good is a bit weird and I feel guilty knowing it felt good to see her distraught for having hurt me. I'm trying to rationalise it. I think it's okay because I'm not happy she's hurting just about what it means about her feelings for me.
Leola never got to see the Hogwart's years, she's kicking them out tomorrow as well and we'll do it then.
December 27th
It's lunch time at the minute. I've got some time because Leola's had to go out and get some air. The Basilisk was a shock despite me telling her how big it was, even despite her using its skeleton for rune carving. Truth be told I was surprised. I'm bigger now, I thought it as a perspective thing but no, the damn thing's massive. I can tell she's fuming about Dumbledore as well. Looking back now when I've grown a bit there are far too many questions. They'll have to wait though, almost twenty years I think.
Well she's seen the rest. I think we're going to talk about it tomorrow. She seems rather upset and particularly angry at the moment. I can hear things being blown up outside.
The worst for me was Sirius I think. Every now and again it hits me. I've read bits of this journal back and even I think it seems like I've not grieved enough for Sirius, or even Cedric, last year certainly didn't help me get over anything. To be honest I've grown to be good at repressing emotion. Not a surprise obviously but it was no help dealing with the last year. Year and a half I guess. I've not talked about sculpting for a while. Truth is I just finished Remus and still couldn't face Sirius. I think I'm ready.
December 28th
I think it's a tossup who Leola hates more, Voldemort, the Dursley's, Dumbledore or Snape. It's borderline for me too. The first two more than the last two certainly but it's closer than I would have thought, for Dumbledore anyway, Snape's always been a wildcard, what kind of petty, ridiculous, small-minded fucker decides to take out all his insecurities on children in general and the son of a childhood rival in particular? No doubt Dumbledore what have some excuse; 'he had a difficult childhood', 'he is still coming to terms with his inner demons', 'the pressure of his duties as a spy'. Bottom line is he's an insignificant shit. Worst of it is he can read minds, he knows I wasn't some pampered, pompous little arsewipe but still decides it's a good idea to treat me like some Gryffindor version of Malfoy. Of course it was looking back with Leola that put it all in perspective. I expected teacher's like Snape at the new school because that's what the teacher's in primary school had been like. The Dursley's always got to them first, covering their own backs in case I ever said anything probably. I'm not looking forward to seeing the man again, Leola even mentioned something about if Helga's a Founder can I get her to put some sort of stipulation into the school constitution allowing me to sack him. She said the same about Dumbledore.
I've got so many questions for him now. I need to right them here to remember them, we came up with a hell of a list.
Mrs Figg – Was she completely useless or did he just not believe anything she said?
Was there no kind of vetting system in place for the Dursleys? Child abuse is known about even now. The communities quickly put a stop to it but its known. How can someone who has been teaching for so long have never come across abused children and just arbitrarily assume people will treat children well?
Was it all part of a grand plan to make me tougher or somehow absolve himself from blame with Riddle?
First year – The lack of information at the beginning of the year, was it on purpose?
It's rather convenient Hagrid mentioned every single 'bad' wizard is from Slytherin. Blatant lie – and it conveniently forgets my Godfather who was evil at the time.
I'd have thought the Weasley's might be a set up, but even if it was they have been nothing but good to me. It's still worth asking though.
It's rather convenient that Voldemort happens to be possessing a teacher, who happens to be after a precious artefact which happens to be there my first year at the school.
Second year – I can understand a first year girl falling through the cracks but the Slytherin – Snake – Basilisk thing is a bit obvious looking back. And help with the Heir of Slytherin rumours? Would it have been too much to ask?
Third year – I know there's a 'mass murderer' after a particular student. Let's not tell him. Oh and he's the student's Godfather who as 'Head of the Wizengamot' we didn't give a trial to. I'm not sure what the Head of the Wizengamot's powers are but asking for a trial for a prisoner seems like a feasible one.
Fourth year – Where to begin; Starting up the tournament, while commendable was obviously a recipe for disaster. Someone impersonating your best friend for a year and never making a mistake? The age line incident? Seriously no guardian or watcher for the cup? Once everyone was having a go at me and he did nothing despite knowing I didn't do it. Seeing Cedric die and doing nothing to help me get over it. Yeah it shouldn't necessarily be his responsibility but he took it upon himself to cut me off from everyone. Fudge denying Voldemort is back – err hello Veritaserum and a pensieve – show the memory, question under truth serum did this memory happen.
Fifth year – The trial – pensieve and Veritaserum, Umbridge how in seven hells did she get anywhere near a classroom? The most interesting though – It took three hours for us to get to London on Thestrals. What exactly was going on during that time? Snape knew where we were going and what we going to be doing, an adult can be there in seconds, what the hell was going on? Sirius died and he chose then to tell me I have to kill or be killed? What was that supposed to achieve?
The kicker of course is the whole Prophecy thing. Everything is based on the prophecy. How sad is it that the course of my life is determined by Sybill Trelawney? This prophecy can be determined in a ridiculous number of different ways. Me and Leola went through a few of them, but then assuming it does mean me. Questions:
The prophecy never says I will be for the light why leave me be and assume I'll be fine? All it really suggests is that I'll be powerful.
I need to win a fight against an extremely powerful dark lord. Why is it I have to take it upon myself to get some training, before I even know about the prophecy?
'The power he knows not' could be anything. Why have I not be encouraged to try more obscure branches of magic. In fact why have I been allowed to coast along like I was?
The most important one for me is why I have never known anything about my family. The Potters were great with Transfiguration, Charms and Runes, had an affinity for stonework, hence natural enchanters and warders. That took a few seconds to write, less to say, and I know more about my family than anyone has ever actually told me. All I know is my dad was great at Transfiguration and was a prankster and a bit of a git when younger, my mum was lovely and great at Charms and Potions. Thats it. The bearded twat has a lot to answer for.
Leola's now completely with me and what I want to do though and understands more about my Ginny issues now that she's seen the conversation. The Room of Requirement Helga conversation was incredible for her as well. I left that out yesterday as I don't think either of us was in a fit state to see it.
Once we'd sorted the Dumbledore questions we sat down and decided to re-establish what I was doing and how the training was going. Came up with a rather crazy schedule not too dissimilar to the current one.
5.30 – Get up, Get washed, Get breakfast
6.30 – Forge with Gerhalt – It builds up muscle and the repetition allows me to get my head to straight
9.30 – Things for the house – Masonry work once plans are sorted, then amenities, utilities and furniture
11.30 – Weapons training – Helps speed and agility. Work with hatchets and bladed staff. Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy magic.
13.00 – Lunch
14.00 – Hunting/Tracking/Herbology/Creatures – A bit of everything for a rounded education
16.00 – Charms – I'm expected to progress rather rapidly in the area and by this time next year will be well beyond NEWT level. The way I'm going I'm supposed to come across some big 'Eureka' moment or so I'm told. Personally I don't have a clue what she's on about. Some of the time building the house will also be spent on the necessary Charms and as a further introduction to enchanting and warding.
17.00 – Runes – Keeping going till I'm done with all she knows. Also continuing to serve as Enchanting basics since lessons are still based around practical application.
18.00 – Potions – Not my gift but as part of the rounded education thing it helps plus I enjoy the time with Helga.
19.00 – Dinner
20.00 – Transfiguration – Everyone progressing nicely. I actually think we're all nearly done with the practical side up to NEWT level. Helga is better than me. Leola is too I think, all told though once the theory is grasped, notably the bit about focus and understanding what you're doing, the whole physical illusion aspect, it becomes much easier. The inbuilt animation and/or compulsion charms for animate transfigurations is an interesting sub-section but everyone is doing well with it. I actually think that we'll be as far on as the Potter library allows by this time next year.
21.00 – Defence – Same as Transfiguration, though it's me who is the best followed by Leola then Helga. Again by next Christmas, as far on as the Library allows. Leola thinks we should start training in duelling/fighting soon. It's a good idea. Maybe on Sundays once we have the Animagus process sorted.
22.00 – Animagus – I think now that Leola has seen why it's so important to me she is even more supportive of the process. That and the difference it can make physically in terms of senses and attributes.
The new schedule didn't make that much difference though. What's really made me happy is the brain storming Leola did for things she can do to help. Honestly all I can think is that she was a generation too late to be involved in the founding because she's a genius, maybe the 'chucked out' of her family thing barred her from serious involvement first time around, because she's too good not to play any part in a school.
We actually decided, or in this case I told her and she sort of agreed, that the most important thing is to look at Wards and Enchantments that can be put in to stonework. Obviously looking at it now will mean that the home we're building will be well protected, but long term the building of Hogwarts and its wards can only be improved. We also thought about the spells needed for the Room of Requirement. That will take bucket loads of work so Leola and I might end up doing some of it on our down time.
She's also taking it upon herself to work out the grounding Rune sets for some of the more complex and/or powerful spells we know of for both ward and weapon purposes. I know for a fact she's already looking for the Patronus ones, but now she's going for some of the stonework spells; the cutter, gouger and vice. All are rather nasty, the vice is the surprising one for me, I tried it on Leola when we were experimenting today thinking it might work like an obscure bodybind with a rare counter. It's incredible. It's like the bind but there is pressure all over your body squeezing you as well and you struggle to breathe. I think it might become like a signature spell of mine.
December 30th
Leola decided not to say anything to the others about the future. I don't like lying to the people here but it must be even worse for her. I made a promise that the second there is a school in the works I'll tell Helga everything I can.
We're still not back on the schedule, Leola and Helga have decided to use my memories to design a house. Luckily there were a few school trips to historical sites in primary school. I don't think living in a medieval replica of the Dursleys would do anything good for my psyche.
Instead the past few days I finally started working on my sculpture of Sirius. It's not finished yet but it's getting there. I want to do my Mum and Dad as well but I really don't know how to go about it. I've got pictures I can work off but no memories really, apart from my Mum being killed but I don't think that will be an especially good place for me to start from. Maybe a larger sculpture of Prongs, Padfoot and Moony. Possibly with a doe or a Lily involved.
The rest of my time I went to the tavern with Gerhalt and Hector. I've not really let loose with a drink since the incident with Helga. It was good though, Gerhalt flirting, Hector whoring and me sitting back and taking it in. One or two of the wenches there were eyeing me for a possible customer but I'm not interested. Well I kind of am but it doesn't seem right, the paying for it part and honestly I'm starting to realise what a big deal virginity is in magic. All kinds of rituals require virgins not just dark ones. Admittedly the dark ones make the idea of losing it just to avoid them seem reasonable but it seems like a waste, something that shouldn't be wasted with a prostitute.
