Professor McFarlan
April 22, 2007 7:53 PM
First and Second Year Class by Professor McFarlan
Kathleen McFarlan smiled at the all but barren classroom. The First and Second year class would begin soon and she'd done nothing to personalize the space allotted to her. Oh, there were a couple of Muggle star charts and the book shelves were filled with reference material, but really, that was it and in Kathleen's eyes it was more than adequate.Surveying the classroom as she set the heavy case she lugged from her office on her desk, the new professor decided she'd have to do something about the seating arrangements. A sweeping motion of her wand and the desks that were lined neatly in rows moved this way and that to form a large circle.
Yes, that was much better. Kathleen walked over and touched the desks one by one with her wand while muttering the appropriate spell. Each student desk transformed into a cushy recliner. After all, when one looked up, proper head and spine alignment was needed to avoid that annoying crick in the neck.
With just minutes to go before the students would be arriving, she hurried back to her desk, opened the case and pulled back the soft material that protected the very large crystal contained within. Reverently, she lifted into its proper position. There were only two like it in the entire world. The other crystal resided with her brothers in Ireland. Gently, she touched her wand to just the right spot and it began to glow softly as the room dissolved away.
Instead of a classroom, Kathleen stood in outer space. Below her the earth rotated on its axis, looking like a beautiful blue opal. To the left and a bit closer, the moon made its guardian trek around the fragile planet. All around, planets and their satellites, stars, and comets, asteroids and distant galaxies shone with breathtaking beauty. In the distance, a large, yellow star know to the inhabitants of the watery planet below as Sol, stood guard. Kathleen had grown up working and playing a place that looked exactly like this, but it never ceased to take her breath away. At least this crystalline image would be put to more productive use other than decorating a posh nightclub.
Hearing footsteps outside, she combed her fingers through her shoulder length auburn hair. Satisfied the waves neatly curled up at her shoulders, she commanded the door to open. Her emerald eyes sparkled with silent laughter at the astonished faces of her charges who had their first look at their new Astronomy professor standing, apparently, on nothing but space.
"Come in," she walked over making a welcoming gesture. "The floor is still quite solid. That's right, find a chair and make yourselves comfortable. Don't worry, gravity still applies."
She gave the students a few moments to adjust to their unusual surroundings and get seated. She could only imagine what was going through their heads. She found herself wishing her Muggle university students could have experienced this. Well, time to begin.
"Hello. My name is Kathleen McFarlan and I have the happy privilege of being your new Astronomy Professor. Please respect the usual classroom etiquette. From his notes and your work, I realize that Professor Chatterjee is a hard act to follow, but I'll do my best. He prepared you well on the basics and I believe you are ready learn how all this," Kathleen made a sweeping gesture, "pertains to you."
"All of the Cosmos is interdependent and everything in it affects us. We may not see it or feel it, but all of this affects our world, nature, and magic. This class is more than just memorizing the names of planets and stars. I hope to teach you how what is happening out here affects every single aspect of magic, from charms to potions and everything in between.
"Nothing demonstrates this more than our closest neighbor, the moon." Professor McFarlan's touched the crystal again and the view changed. Above a huge three dimensional moon filled the ceiling. "Its gravitational pull dictates the tides and it works on us in numerous physical and magical ways.
"Like language, Magic is not gender neutral. The moon's magical resonance is female. That's not a man in the moon, its a lady. The monthly cycle of the moon affects us in different ways. The new moon is a good time to begin projects, long brewing potions, and plant root crops like mandrakes. Love potions and charms are particularly effective during the first quarter. During the full moon, a woman's magic is at her peak. Gentleman, never duel with an angry witch three days before and after a full moon, you'll loose. There is also a rise in crime, births, and accidents during a full moon.
"Now that's enough from me for the time being. I want to know what you know about the moon's powers. You can talk about what you know or have observed in nature, the Muggle world, and the Wizarding world. If you know any historical lore or superstition, feel free to impress me. Please raise your hands and I'll call on you." Kathleen looked around the class in the dim light for the first hand.
OOC: Feel free to Google away or use your brilliant imaginations! Keep it believable and have fun!
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Subthreads: Meh by Paul Tarwater with Brett Hodges, Professor McFarlan, Paul
Why did we have to combine classes? by Hyana Kamiya with Echo Elms, Hyana, Professor McFarlan
Re: First and Second Year Class by Eavan Valentine with Elly Eriksson, Eavan, Professor McFarlan
Tripping the light fantastic . . . literally by Gwyneth with Professor McFarlan
Superstition by Ebony with Professor McFarlan, Oliver Abbott
Yay! Theres an Astronomy Class by Hikaru Kasuragi with Professor McFarlan
COOL! Look ma, no floor! by Josiah with Irene Liddowe, Professor McFarlan
Feeling a bit out of place... by Beth Fisher with Talitha Cumni, Camren Christianson
Woah, coolio! by Derek Samonns with Professo McFarlan, Derek
Using soaps as an educational medium... by Amber Carey with Professor McFarlan, Amber
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Professor McFarlan
First and Second Year Class
1467
Professor McFarlan
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Ebony
April 27, 2007 5:47 AM
Superstition by Ebony
Ebony was a bit worried about going to the Astonomy lesson. She hadn't been coping very well for the first half of the school year and had faded out of existence to most people. This was the first lesson she had had since coming back from the mid term break and she was determined she wasn't going to fade into the background again.As Ebony stepped over the threshold into the Astronomy classroom she became amazed at the sight before her. She was standing on the floor except it looked like she was floating in space. Amazed, Ebony barely followed Professor McFarlan's directions to take a seat. Once seated Ebony couldn't help another look this time focusing on looking for earth.
Before Ebony could discover their planet Professor McFarlan started her lesson about the moon. Ebony listened closely as her new determination to work harder came to mind. At the end of the small lecture Profesor McFarlan asked if anybody knew any superstitions about the moon and Ebony shot her hand up. Her mother had told her one as a young girl that her mother had passed onto her.
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Ebony
Superstition
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Ebony
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Professor McFarlan
April 28, 2007 12:26 AM
Someone Raised Their Hand!!! Yipee!!! by Professor McFarlan
Now, this was a girl after Professor McFarlan’s heart. She entered quietly, in awe. It was almost as if a novitiate where entering a cathedral for the first time. Well, still waters can run very deep. It was like that for her the first time she observed the real planets and stars through a huge telescope.Before, Kathleen just thought she wanted to make astrological research her career. Afterwards, she was inspired to share what wonders she’d beheld to every one. Hence her call to teach rather than simply explore. Passing on what she’d learned became her hearts desire. Was she privileged to witness such a moment for this young girl? Probably not, but wouldn’t it be great if it was!
Then miracles of miracles, once the chatterers were taken care of, she actually raised her hand! Alright! Good job. Someone listened and followed instructions. Goddess be praised!
Quickly acknowledging her proper etiquette, Professor nodded to her with approval. “Yes, Ma’am, could you tell me your name and what you have to share with us?”
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Professor McFarlan
Someone Raised Their Hand!!! Yipee!!!
1467
Professor McFarlan
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Ebony
April 28, 2007 5:06 AM
answering the professor by Ebony
After Ebony had raised her hand it seemed to take a while for the Professor to talk to her, she had a look in her eyes that showed she was partly in her memoires and partly in the room."Yes ma'am, could you tell me your name and what you have to share with us?" Ebony smiled.
"I'm Ebony. Ebony Green." Ebony blushed pushing a stray lock of her black hair back out of her face. "My mum told me that if you looked at a new moon over your left shoulder it would give you bad luck." Ebony started to twist the sleeve of her robe in her fingers. "I did it once and she made me then look over my right shoulder at the moon to cancel out the bad luck."
Ebony smiled hoping that her answer was enough to satisfy her new teacher.
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Ebony
answering the professor
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Ebony
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Oliver Abbott
April 28, 2007 4:34 PM
answering Ebony by Oliver Abbott
Oliver wasn’t sure how he felt about astronomy. On the one hand he liked to look up at the stars and pick out patterns. On the other, he wasn’t sure he cared an awful lot about what they did, why they were there, or what any other planets were like. He supposed that if there were connections between magic and astronomy it might be a subject worth learning. His magic so far had been pretty good. He wasn’t the best in the class by any means, but he certainly wasn’t the worst. As far as Oliver had understood it, his parents hadn’t been particularly proficient in their magical capabilities, and that was part of the reason they decided to live as Muggles and open a hotel. Julian, Oliver knew, was convinced that he didn’t have very strong magic abilities, either, and that was part of the reason he hadn’t even bothered to attend Sonora in the first place. Oliver liked to think he was different; he was in every other way so why not? He liked to think that just because his parents didn’t make a good witch and wizard, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t, either. After all, his Uncle Raymond was a very proficient wizard, who’d opened his own apothecary’s several years ago, and now did some work with potions.Either way, Oliver couldn’t help but be impressed when he entered Professor McFarlan’s classroom for the first time. Feeling slightly uneasy walking on what his eyes were telling him was thin air, Oliver sat down next to a small girl with black hair – the opposite of Oliver’s white-blond. He listened to the teacher’s speech and comments from the other students with interest, though none of the information really excited him. The girl next to Oliver put her hand up, too, to offer her personal insight.
“My mum told me that if you looked at a new moon over your left shoulder it would give you bad luck,” the girl – Ebony Green – said.
Oliver blinked. He had thought that was some stupid superstition his own mother had made up – he didn’t know that other people had heard of it, too. “Yeah, my Mom said the same thing,” he said. Then he blushed and sank back down in his recliner; he didn’t mean to speak out loud and out of turn. Looking sheepishly up at his professor, he added, “but she also told me the Moon’s made of green cheese, so I didn’t believe her.”
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Oliver Abbott
answering Ebony
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Oliver Abbott
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Ebony
April 29, 2007 3:53 AM
boy sitting next to me by Ebony
Ebony was startled when somebody spoke from besdie her. To be perfectly honest, she hadn't paid attention to anything other then the new room, the professor and answering the question.A voice behind her agreed with her answer. A quick turn and she was faced with a male, about her age (but she wasn't very good at guessing ages anyway)and his hair was the complete opposite of her own. White. Ebony tilted her head and let her green eyes look closer.
'Yup it was defintely white and it suited him.' Ebony blushed for staring for too long and after smiling turned back to the professor.
The next part of his answer shocked Ebony and then made her smile. Her dad had told her the same thing about the moon being made of cheese. It must be a parent thing. Noticing that his red cheeks were starting to clash with his hair colour Ebony quickly leaned forward and whispered a reply.
"Yeah, my dad told me that too." Ebony said quickly hoping it would help the boy to overcome his embarrasement, before she sat back up straight quickly and turned back to the Professor hoping she hadn't been spotted speaking out of turn.
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Ebony
boy sitting next to me
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Ebony
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Professor McFarlan
April 29, 2007 1:58 PM
History Lesson and Bed Time Stories by Professor McFarlan
Professor McFarlan had to remind herself that these were kids and not college students. At least they were enthusiastic. Definitely need to give them some free time next class so they can study as they prefer and burn off some energy before formal discussion. For now, as long as it wasn’t too disruptive and everyone was on task, she’d go with the flow. At least Miss Green tried to follow instructions. Professor McFarlan decided to respond to her and the fair haired boy in turn.“Yes, Miss Green, that is a very common superstition with a very old past.” McFarlan began. “You see, in the ancient past, when wizards and witches didn’t know a lot about how the world worked, they held certain beliefs to cope with their lack of knowledge.
“They had deduced that the moon had a powerful effect on magic. They also believed that certain energies worked in certain ways. Negetive energy, demons and harmful fae approached from the left and positive energy, angels and beneficial fae approached from the right. So looking at such a powerful source of magic over your left shoulder was inviting disaster. Good job, Miss Green.”
Professor McFarlan turned her attention to the young man. “The myth about the green cheese comes from an old folk tale parents used to entertain their children. It was told that the stars in the heavens were the Creator’s seeds that he planted. The problem was there was also a great mouse that would sneak around and eat the seeds.
“So the Creator made a huge wheel of green cheese. Well, since the mouse preferred the cheese to the seeds, he ate that. So when ever the moon wanes, it is the mouse eating the cheese and when it waxes, the Creator is making a new wheel so that the mouse will leave the seeds alone. Not a lot to do with reality, but great fun for little ones to hear. Thank you, Mr.__?”
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Professor McFarlan
History Lesson and Bed Time Stories
1467
Professor McFarlan
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Oliver Abbott
May 01, 2007 3:50 PM
I thought this was astronomy? by Oliver Abbott
"Abbott," Oliver replied to the professor's query. He didn't feel like submitting his first name - he presumed the teacher could look it up if she had a severely burning desire. He didn't really care for her explanations of the silly stories his parents had told him. Seriously, did people actually ever believe there was a big cat or mouse or whatever in space? That was really, really dumb. A lot of the stuff Professor McFarlan had said at the start of the lesson had sounded vaguely interesting, but this was ridiculous.Sadly, Oliver had an unquenchable thirst to prove himself, especially to his didn't-believe-he-would-make-a-good-wizard family. So as bizarre as the lesson was becoming, Oliver nevertheless paid hard attention and didn't even sigh in exasperation, as he would normally. He did push his hair back from his face and rearrange his glasses, though, both of which were nervous habits, but could easily be mistaken for an effort to pay attention.
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Oliver Abbott
I thought this was astronomy?
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Oliver Abbott
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Ebony
May 01, 2007 4:41 PM
friends? by Ebony
'Abbott.''Abbott', Ebony thought. 'So he does have a name.' Ebony made a mental note to ask his first name when the Professor wasn't looking. She didn't want to get in trouble for talking if she was supposed to be listening to a lecture.
The story of the mouse and the cheese was quite a cool story in a wierd way. Her mother tended to tell her these as she was growing up and had thought it was a muggle thing, but apparently witches and wizards knew it too. Ebony made another mental note to mention this in her tri-weekly letter home to her parents. She had never wanted to write home that often but after her mini break down over midterm, her parents wanted to make sure she was still okay and coping with school.
Abbott next to her pushed his glasses up his nose and messed with his hair making him look more studious. Nervously Ebony twitched the edge of her robes before turning to Abbott and talking quietly.
"Hello. My name is Ebony Green and I am in Aladren. It is a pleasure to meet you." Ebony recited the phrase she had had hounded in her by her grandmother in an effort to bring her pureblood ancestry to the forefront, and bury any muggle tendencies she might have picked up from her mother's side.
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Ebony
friends?
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Ebony
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Oliver
May 03, 2007 1:13 PM
if you want. by Oliver
As soon as the teacher’s attention had been diverted elsewhere, the girl – Ebony Green – sitting next to Oliver caught his attention and introduced herself to him. “Yeah,” Oliver replied quietly, to avoid getting into trouble, “you just introduced yourself, remember?” Okay, so she hadn’t told the teacher that she was in Aladren, so that bit of information was new. It just so happened that Oliver didn’t really care what house she was in – it made very little difference to him. Still, she was obviously friendly enough, especially to introduce herself so eagerly to him having done so to the whole class just moments ago, so Oliver saw no harm in talking to her. He hadn’t made any fast friends yet, after all, and remaining grumpy about it certainly wouldn't improve the situation.“Oliver Abbott,” he replied after a moment. “Crotalus,” he added, merely because Ebony had seen fit to state her house. It seemed a normal thing to do around here, like telling strangers your surname.
Ebony had said it was a pleasure to meet him. Oliver had always thought that was an odd expression – how could you be pleased to meet someone when you haven’t had a chance to get to know anything about them? He supposed it was different if you’d heard a lot about someone already and were perhaps looking forward to meeting said person, but otherwise it was a bit of a silly custom, so Oliver didn’t say he was pleased to meet Ebony. Instead he nodded towards the Earth replica slowly revolving around the room. “Makes you feel insignificant, doesn’t it?” he said. It might have been an unusual thing to say, but outer space tended to have the effect on Oliver of making him feel miniscule and superfluous compared to everything else in the universe. He merely wondered if he was alone in his interpretation or if another student felt the same way.
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Oliver
if you want.
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Oliver
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Ebony
May 11, 2007 4:48 AM
Earth by Ebony
"Makes you feel insignificant, doesn't it?"Ebony was surprised when Oliver said this. Although as she looked at the earth spinning around and the other stars and planets around it she could see where he was coming from. To be one species amoungst millions on earth was unnerving but then looking at all of the other planets and imagining if they had planets with life on too....
Ebony's head was shocked as she thought about it. She had never really considered it before.
"I've never really thought about it." Ebony said. "I always believed that astronomy was all about recognising other stars, thier constellations and being able to find them in the sky. I never really thought about it actually involving us."
Now the closer Ebony looked at it, she wondered why she had never thought about it before.
"In the muggle world they only really concentrate on our Solar System. I mean they've been to the moon and back a dozen times so i've never had to think about us being involved in the galaxy. It's always been about our Solar System and exploring it." Ebony shrugged. Probably not the best thing to say to a pureblood but Ebony could never remembering anything about Wizards or Witches going to the moon yet.
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Ebony
Earth
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Ebony
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Oliver
May 13, 2007 9:38 AM
It's home. by Oliver
Ebony apparently hadn’t considered the galaxy in the same way that Oliver had. Every time he thought about what was beyond the Milky Way, then what was beyond that, and beyond that, and so it, it made his head spin. Maybe human beings weren’t supposed to know about space; maybe they were supposed to just stay put on their own planet. Oliver knew he would never run out of new experiences without ever heading off into space; he was more than content to stay on Earth.But then Ebony started telling Oliver about the Muggle world. Had she just assumed he was pureblood because he was in Crotalus? And from that, had she just assumed that purebloods didn’t know anything about Muggles? Oliver was a bit offended by the insinuation. He was a pureblood, fair enough, but he had been raised as a Muggle, and before Sonora all his friends had been Muggles. He really didn’t need someone to teach him about how Muggles did things.
“Yeah, I know about Muggle stuff,” he said to her a little coolly. “Purebloods don’t just live in a bubble, you know. We live in the same towns as Muggles, we do notice stuff. I guess you must be Muggleborn?” he asked her. After all, why else would she have such weird views on purebloods?
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Oliver
It's home.
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Oliver
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Ebony
May 14, 2007 4:12 AM
Muggles and Purebloods by Ebony
Ebony was a bit shocked when Oliver coolly informed her that he understood all about muggles."I guess you must be muggleborn?"
Ebony realised she was highly offended at the tone he had taken. She understood he might too be offended that she had assumed that as a pureblood he wouldn't understand anything about muggles. But after being in Sonora since the beginning of the year and seeing other purebloods, other then her family, she had noticed that the majority of the purebloods wouldn't know a muggle concept if it jumped up and down in front of them waving a flag.
"I'm not a muggleborn. I'm a pureblood." Ebony replied coolly back. She might seem pathetic, but insulting her was still not acceptable. "My fathers side are all purebloods back to the time of King Arthur, if they are to be believed, and think muggles are diseased. My father married my mother who is a muggleborn. My fathers family have hated my mother as she has insisted upon my going to a muggle primary school in England, where we lived until a few months before i recieved my acceptance letter here." Ebony takes a deep breath and forces herself to calm down.
"I apologise for making the assumption that as you are in Crotalus you are a pureblood and would not know anything about muggles." Ebony added before turning back to watch the Professor talking to some other students.
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Ebony
Muggles and Purebloods
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Ebony
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Oliver
May 14, 2007 3:41 PM
Feeling sheepish by Oliver
“I’m not a Muggleborn. I’m a pureblood.”Oliver blinked. Then he blinked again. And yet once more for good measure. What an idiot he had just made of himself! He couldn’t blame Ebony for retorting the way she had, he probably would have done the same. “I’m sorry too,” he said quietly, blushing as he looked at the floor. He too watched the professor and the other students for a while, feeling a little sheepish. But then the silence that stretched between them started to feel uncomfortable.
Sighing, Oliver pushed his hair back from his face before turning back to Ebony. “Yeah, I’m sorry,” he repeated. “My parents have crazy pureblood families too,” he said, hoping he correctly interpreted the ‘crazy-pureblood’ vibes Ebony was sending. “But they - my mom and dad - they weren’t into all that. They run a Muggle hotel in Chicago,” he said, and the end of that sentence had him grinning. It was, after all, perfectly ridiculous. He and Ebony had both made stupid assumptions about each other and been completely wrong. He hoped they could laugh about it, rather than fight. Oliver hated confrontation. “Forgiven?” he asked, extending his hand for her to shake.
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Oliver
Feeling sheepish
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Oliver
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Ebony
May 15, 2007 3:48 AM
Crazy families by Ebony
"Forgiven?"Ebony turned and looked at Oliver at that word. He was extending his hand and looked apologetic. Ebony beamed forgiving him instantly. She couldn't remember a single cousin had ever apologised when they had insulted her so Oliver definitely wasn't that kind of pureblood. Ebony shook the out stretched hand.
"Of course." Releasing Olivers hand Ebony shook her head smiling. "No wonder you would know about muggles if your parents run a muggle hotel. Did you go to a muggle school too or were you home schooled? I know my cousins were home schooled like the rest of my family is."
Ebony was interested in Olivers reply. She had four male cousins and each one spent a few hours every day with a pureblood tutor. Ebony could never figure out what was being taught though, they never seemed to understand the basics behind spell theory or the history of magic in England like she did. And Ebony had gone to a muggle school too as well as her lessons at home!
Thinking that the first question might be a bit personal and sound as though she was double checking his opinions on muggles she continued talking.
"Both my parents work in the wizarding world, but they try to balance wizarding and muggle lives."
Ebony grins remembering some of the visits they had taken to muggle monuments both in England and in America since they had arrived.
"You can tell my dads a pureblood though, no matter how many times we go out in the muggle world we still have to remind him to wear jeans and not his robes." Ebony smiles at Oliver.
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Ebony
Crazy families
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Ebony
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Oliver
May 18, 2007 4:50 PM
There's more than enough of those to go around. by Oliver
Luckily, Ebony did forgive him, and shook his hand in what Oliver accepted as a moment of truce. In fact, she was even interested enough in Oliver to ask questions, which was a relatively infrequent experience for Oliver. He found that people would usually just stare (or pointedly not stare, which was just as bad) rather than ask questions. “Yeah, I went to a Muggle school,” he said, grinning at having someone interested in him. “My brother and sister go to Muggle school, too, but I’m hoping my sister will come here when she’s old enough,” he said, pushing his white blond hair out of his eyes.Oliver returned Ebony’s smile when she talked about her Dad. “Yeah, I have an uncle like that,” Oliver sympathised. His Uncle Raymond rarely associated with Muggles, but he quite often had to be reminded not to use magic in front of them. As clever as he was, he did seem to lack common sense in everyday situations. “My parents aren’t like that at all – they’re practically Muggles,” Oliver admitted, though he would never repeat those words to anyone in his own House. He was a pureblood, and that’s all the other students in Crotalus needed to know.
“So do you have any brothers or sisters?” Oliver asked. Ebony hadn’t mentioned any siblings, when he had mentioned his, but he thought he would check anyway; that would be another thing he could talk about with Ebony.
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Oliver
There's more than enough of those to go around.
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Oliver
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Ebony
May 19, 2007 2:26 PM
siblings by Ebony
"So do you have any brothers or sisters?""No, I'm an only child. My Grandmother wanted my father to have more children so he could have his male heir, as he is the heir to my grandfather. But my father decided I was more then enough." Ebony grinned her green eyes glinting with amusement.
"As a child my mum said all I did was run around, talk a mile a minute, bounce in a chair when I sat down for meals and only slept for a few hours every night. After seeing what I was like, my dad decided he didn't want to push his luck and end up with another child just like me, so he and mom put off having anymore children."
Ebony could not imagine what it would be like to have a brother or a sister. She was very close to her parents and had never been lacking for friends.
"I have never wished for a borther or sister like some people do." Ebony explains. "I've had friends, and my parents always make time for me." Ebony shrugs. "I suppose I'm selfish. I prefer having them all to myself. Don't you ever find that your brother or sister get in the way?" Ebony was honestly interested. Oliver's brother and sister sounded like they were younger and Ebony thought that as the eldest Oliver might get left behind or made to set an example all of the time.
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Ebony
siblings
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Ebony
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Oliver
May 29, 2007 2:25 PM
I've got two. by Oliver
“In the way?” Oliver repeated. Ebony’s question was an interesting one; Oliver hadn’t ever thought of his siblings as being in the way. After all, they had as much right to be there as he did. He supposed he could understand Ebony’s ideas about having all the parental attention to herself, but really he felt like his parents had done a fairly good job of supporting all their children (this past year an exception, of course).“Not in the way, no,” he answered after a short hesitation. “My brother, Julian, he gets a lot of attention ’cause he’s on the state swimming team. And Charlie gets a lot of attention ’cause she’s the youngest, and a girl,” he said, more thinking out loud than explaining to Ebony. “But I’m the only one at magic school, so far. I’m hoping Charlie will come, but I don’t know yet,” he said, shrugging. There was a part of him that knew the influence of the three eldest in the family was far greater than his own, and if his parents didn’t want Charlotte to be a witch then that would probably be that. Oliver was the only one who ever contradicted them, after all. And it wasn’t because he had bad parents – he knew they had their children’s best interest at heart. However, Oliver had suspected, and was quickly coming to understand, that his parents’ experiences were rather singular. As far as he had established in his short months at Sonora, everyone (with the exception of Lutece, who he decided to ignore) seemed to be rather keen on their magical abilities.
“It’s fun to have siblings,” Oliver said aloud, as much to keep his mind of his parents’ ideals than anything else. “We have competitions and play games and stuff all the time,” he explained to Ebony. “Of course we fight too – well actually, Julian and Charlie fight a lot, and I’m the peacekeeper,” Oliver said, smiling. He pushed his hair back from his face again. He couldn’t imagine living without siblings – it wouldn’t be so bad for him with the guests and their children around all the time, but in a regular household it would surely be rather lonely. “It must be pretty quiet at your house, with nobody except your Mom and Dad there.”
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Oliver
I've got two.
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Oliver
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Ebony
June 09, 2007 2:04 PM
Quiet? by Ebony
Ebony found herself thinking very hard on what Oliver had just said."It must be pretty quiet at your house, with nobody except your mum and dad there."
Now that she thought about it, it was pretty quiet during the day at home when her parents were out to work and she was left with monitoring spells to make sure she was okay. The quiet was most likely the main reason Ebony found herself loving to read. The library took up an entire room, and that was just a small amount of books that they had brought over to America with them from the Manor house they owned in England. The library in England had been Ebony's sanctuary for many years and she had come to love the peace and solitude that the room afforded her. Her parents had tried to make her make friends with either the muggle or wizarding children in the area and she had made a few but most of the time she did prefer her own company.
"It is quiet at home." Ebony told Oliver. "But I suppose if it has always been that way as you are growing up you don't realise that the noise is missing. I had a muggle friend who had five brothers and she was the only girl, they were always picking on her and making fun of her and she didn't seem to enjoy it that much."
Emma's brothers may have picked on her, Ebony thought. But when she really needed help they were all there surrounding her.
Ebony had always been envious of the way Emma's brothers had stuck up for her and Ebony had many a daydream where she had several brothers who discovered her grandmother insulting her and stuck up for her too.
"Is it hard to be the eldest?" Ebony asked. "Do you have to babysit your brother and sister occasionally?" Ebony had a vague memory of Emma's older brother babysitting them one day when they were five. "I suppose you are then one that gets in trouble if they are naughty."
At least I only get in trouble for things I do wrong not what anybody else does wrong too, Ebony thought.
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Ebony
Quiet?
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Ebony
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5