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

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

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It was Monday afternoon, and the fifth years were attending their three o'clock lesson ahead of trooping downstairs to Defence before dinner. The weekend ahead was a distraction - a valentines event in Hogwarts and a Hogsmeade weekend for the older years.

Subsequently there had been a lot of demand to recap compatibility in arithmancy. Professor Duerr was saving that for a bit of homework to bring to Friday afternoon's lesson instead for a chuckle.

"Now, this afternoon we will focus on your understanding of writing and interpreting Karmic charts. These are also known as Lo Shu or the Arrow os Pythagoras. Fresh parchment, quill and ruler everyone."

There was a rustle from the table and the Professor paused while it subsided.
"We begin by drawing a grid three squares wide and three square tall. I want you to draw two of these, one for calculation, one to note how to do this." She tapped the chalkboard and the chalk leapt to life to oblige her with straight lines. "Leave enough space in each box to write four or five numbers. Don't squeeze it up. Remember to set your work out neatly and legibly. Less chance of mistakes, and the examiners can read your work." She took a slow walk round the table everyone was seated at, peering down to check everyone was on task.

"Good, now, write your date of birth with two digits for the day and month, and four for the year, like so."



"Now, each of the numbers from your birth date must be entered into the grid in the correct location. Here is the order. Fill in the order in one of the grids so you have it for later." The Professor scrawled the numbers zero to nine in their relevant boxes and turned back to the students. "Zeros go under the grid. Now, in your other grid, fill in the numbers for your birthday. If you have more than one of any number, you write that many in the grid. If you have none of one number, leave it blank."



"Put your quill down once you have completed those instructions." The Professor requested, taking another loop around the table in the opposite direction. "You needed to draw that a little larger there," she corrected one student.

"Good." She spoke after a minute or two of inking in numbers and the occasional mistake. "Now, you were all born in 1994 or 1995, so you will all have at least two nines, one one in your grid. Yes? No? Try again there then dear." One student hurried to correct, having missed the point of writing in each number more than once if necessary.

"The frequency of the numbers in your grid each has it's own significance. For your OWL exam, you will just need to learn the general traits for the frequency of each number, rather than the arrows. Open your books at page 89. Now, who can tell me how many number ones they have in their grid, and what that corresponds to according to the text?"

Alvis didn't care what anybody said -- Arithmancy was fun. Sure it could be a little heavy on calculations and birth-dates, but there was always a new technique to learn, most all of which could be used to personalize spells or magical devices to suit their intended owner. Plus, it made for a fun journey of self-discovery, of sorts. You just couldn't take the whole thing too seriously.

He sucked on the end of his quill as Professor Duerr spoke, sketching the two three-by-three grids and pausing to be sure of the technique before he filled them in. It took a bit of reviewing between the book and the lecture to get the gist, but eventually he settled on what he thought to be the proper square.


From the reading, he knew that the three-in-a-row in his first column was significant -- something about practicality -- but that wasn't the matter at hand for the moment. So he flipped instead to the front of the chapter and skimmed down the chart of numbers that the professor had indicated.

"I've got two," he muttered, half to himself and half to answer the question. "That is, I've got two ones. Says here that means I understand people real well. And that I 'express myself' easily."

He didn't know about that, nor about the confidence mentioned later on. But the part about understanding peoples' points of view was pretty spot-on, moreso than the textbook writers likely anticipated. It was easy to understand people, if you had an inadvertent peek into their minds....

He fell quiet and chewed his bottom lip. On second thought, maybe boiling people's personalities down to sudoku squares was a bit rubbish.

"Very good Alvis, point to Ravenclaw. You don't sound convinced, dear, remember that if you do not believe it true now, your chart carries with you throughout your life, so as an adult, you will achieve confidence and ease of self-expression." Professor Duerr offered him a warm smile before setting off to peer over the shoulders of her students.

"Gloria, you have 4 ones. You may find it difficult to express your thoughts and feeling verbally, but are extremely confident. Cyhirae - you have 3 ones - again very confident, but depending on the situation you can be very quiet too. Does that suit?"

The Professor wandered a little further as students chipped in their quantities of ones.

"Esther, five ones! How does that define you?" The Professor tried to keep her tone fairly even, but it was intriguing to see such a concentration. It would mean Esther had a lack of diversity in her numbers which she would explore later in the lesson.

Carrying on, Professor Duerr paused to look over the shoulder of Alvis.

"Ah now, a single 2, just as Katy has." She extended a hand over the Ravenclaw's shoulder to point it out, "sensitive, perceptive and intuitive. What else, Alvis does it say about a single 2?" She looked up and around his classmates. "Felix has two, and you may find the definitions between the two of you are very close indeed."

"Now, threes," she paused by Juni, "just the one here for you, Juni, what does that tell us?

				99
2		5		8
11
		0

It was already too late when the professor told him he should have made it larger, but Kelvin was used to writing small.  At least in his notes, and he made it all fit in the squares.  Other than the 1's and 9's, everything else was just a single number.

As much as he enjoyed Arithmancy, he wasn't sure he'd be continuing after O.W.L.s.  The more they learned, the more it just seemed like Kelvin to him.  He didn't have any 3's or 4's and yet he'd describe himself with traits those numbers represent. He might have lacked a bit of confidence, but he didn't underestimate himself.  And really, it wasn't his fault he wasn't confident.  His mother still hadn't spoken to him since he came out and that was hardly conducive to confidence.  And as for missing a four, well he was a hard worker, and had no problem with routines.

He was definitely not continuing with this subject past exams.  Though he still planned on getting an O or E.

"That she needs two or three more threes, Professor." Kelvin said.  It wasn't said as an insult.  If there was anyone who was three or four three's it was Juni.

"That she needs two or three more threes, Professor." Kelvin said.  It wasn't said as an insult.  If there was anyone who was three or four three's it was Juni.

“Kelvin, are you referring to Juni’s exceptional imagination?” Professor Duerr asked, smiling at his humour. “Rather than her excellent mental capacity?” She passed by. “Now, Alvis, one four there, hardworking, practical, hands-on. Excellent for a potential artificer. So, you gather the idea for the density of numbers in your charts. I will give you a few minutes to refer to the text and complete your analysis of the numbers present and their density. Once you have done that, you may read ahead to interpreting the missing numbers. Consider which you are missing, and whether you feel this is a true reflection. You may not perceive so, but your classmates, family and professors might.”

She gave the students a few minutes of quiet hubbub to write things down and discuss amongst themselves about their grids.
“Now, missing numbers, would anyone like to elaborate on their grid.”

Ravenclaw

Alvis Norling +1 participation +1 answer
Kelvin Watkins +1 participation