Attending
(Just post and I'll add you in)

---

OOC: Your character has already arrived unless prearranged, as late arrivals result in point loss and/or detention.

---

"As part of your exam, you will need to be able to quickly calculate and read Karmic charts." Professor Duerr reminded the seventh years, poised by the blackboard chalk in hand. It was the first lesson after lunch on Wednesday and her oldest, best students were gathered round the long table in the sixth floor classroom, their notes spread about the table before them.



"A quick recap then, freshen your memories." Their professor sketched a three-by-three grid on the right side of the board, and labelled up each square briefly, noting a date of birth beside.



"Two digits for the day, two for the month, four for the year. Arrange the digits in the relevant boxes. Zeros below the grid." As the Professor summarised, her hand brushed away the irrelevant numbers and replaced them with the correct ones.



"Rows, columns, diagonals with three boxes each with one or more numbers in are positive arrows, and are marked with a solid line. Those without any numbers are marked with a dashed line, negative arrows." For the second she quickly drew a different set of numbers as her own date of birth featured no negative arrows.



Professor Duerr stepped back from the board to look to her students.
"The next step is -" she looked about the room and called a student by forename[1]. "What can you observe from the individual squares in these grids?"

1.

Anyone!

Marco examined the charts, particularly interested in Professor Duerr's own. The fact that she so freely revealed her own information made Marco wary-- how could she really expect to trust her students that much? Marco was one of the students who was not quite so cooperative when it came to sharing his own numbers, but was usually quick to draw conclusions from somebody else's. Often ruthlessly.

This was one of those moments.

"Well," He replied as she called on him, barely needing to glance at his notes. "Your chart. It has one six." Marco stated, pointing out the obvious, "That means that you are creative and your home life is valuable to you. You are a loving mother to your son, probably a doting wife." He paused, "Was a doting wife." The Gryffindor corrected himself. "Interesting fact is, people with one six often fear being alone and widowed."

He didn't mean to cause any offense, to hurt her. He actually kind of liked Professor Duerr. Judging by that six, she held herself together pretty well, considering.

"… probably a doting wife. Was a doting wife."
"Mm, yes." The Professor agreed quietly, blinking once in acknowledgement of the correction. The events of the previous term were unavoidable but thankfully her students had been quite respectful.

"They do, Marco, indeed. Well recalled. Point to Gryffindor." The Professor placed her finger to the square with six in the grid. "Another reason why I've quite enjoyed moving in to stay in the castle the past few months." She gave a gentle smile.

"Six relates to home, family, responsibility of course. The more prevalent the six, the more the emotional link. Two is a potentially unnecessary worry, three is overprotective parent, four is both highly creative but also incredibly affected emotionally by life." She dropped her hand from the chalkboard and called on another student.

"What else can we surmise from the numbers, or perhaps the pattern of?"

"Well done Marco," Ariadne muttered in a low voice across the table to her housemate, "Take a swipe at Professor Duerr but still get a housepoint."

"Ariadne, what else can we surmise from the numbers, or perhaps the pattern of?" Their kindly Professor in question interrupted her mutterings across the table and she looked to the board thoughtfully, clearing her throat.

"Two nines, Professor," Ariadne offered. "Humanitarian number, and if you have two you're idealistic and intelligent. But," she cringed, "Can look down on those not as mentally gifted. No offence Professor."

The Gryffindor exhaled and glanced across at Marco, a little more sympathetic herself after being picked on to speak.

Catching Ariadne Gamp talking was not the first nor the last time, but touchingly it appeared to be in the Professor's defence. She didn't feel she needed it, Marco's point was valid and politely put.

The other Gryffindor cringed as she explained the balancing negative trait for two nines. Her Professor shrugged.

"None taken, Ariadne. Thankfully I don't find myself drawn to when I look upon you all. I've a five, motivating and inspiring others. Handy in teaching." Professor Duerr gave a nod to them all, still smiling.

"What about the positive arrow?" She opened to the room.

Arithmancy was better than Divination; it had numbers.  However, like Divination, it shared that awkward combination of invasion of privacy and reliance on assumptions that, due to coincidental factors like conception dates, all those that shared birthdays shared personality traits. 

Still, Arithmancy had numbers and patters.  And, as they'd progressed into NEWT level, the students filtered down to the more detail-oriented sort. A vast improvement over the vagueness of tea leaves and those that read them.  So, onward with the awkwardness of invaded privacies.  Positive arrows. 

"It indicates a tendency towards determination, ma'am.  Focused on succeeding and getting the job down."  Which, admittedly, sounded familiar.  Johann had that in spades.  Maybe it was genetic.  "Perhaps a bit of a temper, as well."

"Good Sasha," the Professor replied without hesitation, "one thinks the bad temper comes when the job cannot be done at the speed one desires." The Professor smiled and raised her eyebrows at her assembled students.

"Impatience. Though we call that the Arrow of Determination, remember, don't forget to state the arrow names on your analysis." She gestured to the Ravenclaw with the chalk in her hand, though it was a gentle critique. He was generally very thorough, as were the majority of the class. They would just keep practicing over and over to improve accuracy and speed for the exam once the knowledge was there.

"And on the other grid, just to illustrate as I do not have any at all - we have two, negative arrows." The Professor pointed out the dotted lines. "A point to the student who can correctly name and identify both.[1]"

1.	Frustrations and Skepticism

Ariadne had doodled both squares and was making notes with them to help her revise. At Professor Duerr's reminder not to forget the full names of the arrows, she added Determination in.

Enthusiastically, Ariadne's hand went up over the question, forgetting that it wasn't always necessary now they were at that age and could navigate group contribution like a adults.

"Arrow of frustrations, Professor - four, five and six are missing. Disappointment, frustration, possibly the person expects too much from themselves. The other is erm, three, five and seven. Which is erm," Ariadne screwed her eyes shut a moment, "Sc.. Skepticism?"

"Good Ariadne, point to Gryffindor. The absence of 3, 5 and 7 is the arrow of scepticism. Can someone define what this means in a chart?" She nodded to a student to answer.

"Well remembered. Now, let us revise practically. Please exchange your birthdates with a fellow student and then calculate your classmate's Lo Shu." She looked to the clock, "You have ten minutes."

Caldara, Marco 1 participation 1 correct answer
Gamp, Ariadne 2 participation 1 correct answer

Schlagenweit, Sasha 1 participation