(no subject)
I must admit, I was quite wary about this whole camping business, especially if the idea was entirely Professor Fletcher's (as some of his more devoted followers are so willing to assume). His teaching methods are distinctive, to put it delicately, and it is somewhat difficult for the more traditional student to see the value in being chucked into the middle of the Forbidden Forest with little to no prior hands-on experience.
There was much more direction and structure than I had originally believed. The professors were very diligent in making sure that the students remained safe, both from beasts, and themselves (I don't think I'll ever quite forget the look on Aiden Malone's face as he was chased out of Joanne Matthews's tent by Madam Pince at one o'clock in the morning; one can gather that that wasn't quite the level of bonding between partners that the professors had in mind).
On the subject of beasts, I must extend my compliments to whomever it was that thought of transfiguring a particularly large boulder into an Antipodean Opaleye, which my partner Dean Thomas and I encountered not an hour before we were set to return to school (and the unparalleled joys of indoor plumbing). We did lose our heads a bit. It's not often that one encounters New Zealand-native dragons in the middle of a Scottish forest. It even breathed fire at me (or attempted to, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself), my own personal little brush with death, which I'm sure will make me the envy of the post-mortem obsessed everywhere. In other words: just Mandy, then.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Transfiguration, however, is that there are certain qualities even the most accomplished of Tranfigurers cannot replicate. Some modern magical theorists speculate that much of Transfiguration is perception, having a large amount to do with the psyche, and the percentage of the brain that witches and wizards use that muggles do not (also a heavily debated, relatively "modern" theory). In other words, while it looked very much like an Antipodean Opaleye, its attempt at charring the flesh of innocent students was in vain. It merely hacked gravel all over us.
I was very impressed with Dean's ability to think on his feet. It took a couple of attempts on our part, but we managed to stun the not-dragon and take its tag, which helped in winning us the contest of sorts I had forgotten was going on, and quite a few points for both of our houses (although Gryffindor's hour glass appears to be remaining stubbornly in the negative).
All and all I'd have to say it was a very successful retreat, however I can't say I'm entirely keen on doing it again any time soon. I value my personal hygiene far, far too much.
On that note, I have noxious, bright pink streamers to hang, and cake recipes to inspect. Morag is entirely in her (rather horrifying) element setting up the last-minute arrangments for Anthony's Not-So-Surprising Surprise Party, and I am being given a Look.
There was much more direction and structure than I had originally believed. The professors were very diligent in making sure that the students remained safe, both from beasts, and themselves (I don't think I'll ever quite forget the look on Aiden Malone's face as he was chased out of Joanne Matthews's tent by Madam Pince at one o'clock in the morning; one can gather that that wasn't quite the level of bonding between partners that the professors had in mind).
On the subject of beasts, I must extend my compliments to whomever it was that thought of transfiguring a particularly large boulder into an Antipodean Opaleye, which my partner Dean Thomas and I encountered not an hour before we were set to return to school (and the unparalleled joys of indoor plumbing). We did lose our heads a bit. It's not often that one encounters New Zealand-native dragons in the middle of a Scottish forest. It even breathed fire at me (or attempted to, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself), my own personal little brush with death, which I'm sure will make me the envy of the post-mortem obsessed everywhere. In other words: just Mandy, then.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Transfiguration, however, is that there are certain qualities even the most accomplished of Tranfigurers cannot replicate. Some modern magical theorists speculate that much of Transfiguration is perception, having a large amount to do with the psyche, and the percentage of the brain that witches and wizards use that muggles do not (also a heavily debated, relatively "modern" theory). In other words, while it looked very much like an Antipodean Opaleye, its attempt at charring the flesh of innocent students was in vain. It merely hacked gravel all over us.
I was very impressed with Dean's ability to think on his feet. It took a couple of attempts on our part, but we managed to stun the not-dragon and take its tag, which helped in winning us the contest of sorts I had forgotten was going on, and quite a few points for both of our houses (although Gryffindor's hour glass appears to be remaining stubbornly in the negative).
All and all I'd have to say it was a very successful retreat, however I can't say I'm entirely keen on doing it again any time soon. I value my personal hygiene far, far too much.
On that note, I have noxious, bright pink streamers to hang, and cake recipes to inspect. Morag is entirely in her (rather horrifying) element setting up the last-minute arrangments for Anthony's Not-So-Surprising Surprise Party, and I am being given a Look.