Quidditch!

Ravenclaw played its first Quidditch match today! It was our team versus Slytherin! I wore my scarf Anne made me to the match, to help show my support but also because it was very cold. We all left for the Quidditch pitch shortly after breakfast, and all the Ravenclaw’s gathered in the stands under a very large blue and bronze banner with our eagle crest on it. Luckily, there was already a match, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor, early this month, so I understood the basics of the game already, and was able to pay attention better. Slytherin’s team has a tendency to play dirty, but I was hoping we’d make up for it in skill. It was a very exciting game, our Chasers kept a hold of the quaffle for a good part of the game, even though the Slytherin Chasers kept throwing elbows which are a foul. We had a really quick Seeker, and it only took her forty-five minutes to find then Snitch! We won, we had a big party in the common room tonight. Lots of butterbeer and candy from Honeydukes! It’s a big deal to beat Slytherin, and I hope we can beat the other Houses too!

History of Magic

I think I’m the only one who enjoys our History of Magic class. Most of the students find our professor boring, and I do too a little. He tends to drone on a bit. I like the subject though. Sometimes when I have a hard time paying attention class I read my textbook. Reading it is like reading a fairy tale almost, but with less princess’ and more goblins and trolls.

I’m really glad I’m in Ravenclaw, all of the students like to read and learn like me. I’ve never met anyone who liked reading books as much as I did until I came to Hogwarts. It’s nice to go up to the common room and see so many other reading or working on classwork, even History of Magic!

Potions Tutor- Part Two!

I met with Selene, my tutor, for the first time yesterday. We met in an empty classroom, Professor Slughorn recommended one that we wouldn’t be disturbed in. Selene decided that we’d start back in the beginning of the potion book with the easiest ones, and work our way along as I mastered each one. So I worked on a Cure for Boils yesterday, and I remember it was really difficult in class, so I was a little worried, but it was actually pretty easy, I was fairly surprised. I must have gotten better already and not known! She then helped me make an Awakening Potion, and that one was a little more difficult, but I got through it. She said next time we’d do the Awakening Potion again, and if it felt good we’d move on. She recommended that I go through the instructions for the different potions and try and memorize as many of the instructions as possible, so I don’t have to refer to my book as much while I’m brewing. I definitely need to find some flash cards I think.

Wizard's Chess

Well, Wizard’s Chess didn’t turn out to be much different than normal chess. All the rules and pieces are the same, except for one thing, in Wizard’s Chess the pieces move! They walk to the space you tell them to, and if a piece of the opposing person is in the space they want to occupy, they fight them! I had a set I borrowed from one of the other boys, and the pieces were constantly trying to give me advice. My friend Michael said that if I was going to play often, getting a set of my own would be a good idea since the pieces would get to know me better and question my actions less often. Getting your own set of pieces is quite expensive though, so I don’t see that happening anytime soon. 

Busy Sunday

There are no classes today, but that doesn’t stop there being lots for me to do. I did a few hours of homework yesterday, and got done all my Charms homework and Herbology homework, but I still have Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts to work on. Luckily Potions is just theoretical. I have to write 2 rolls of parchment on the different uses of newt eyes in potions. It seems gross to write about newt eyes, but there are actually a lot of uses for them. I read in one of my textbooks that they are a key ingredient in the Polyjuice Potion, which will allow a person to take the form of another. I have many more, but I’ll save them for my essay. For my Defense Against the Dark Arts we have to research different types of magical amulets that are said to protect one from Dark forces. This has proven harder as most that I’ve found have been fakes meant to fool scared witches or wizards. Luckily, as always, doing homework in Ravenclaw tower is a pleasant time. There are plenty of tables with lots of space for spreading out books and papers and notes. The big windows make everything well lit and easy to see, and there is always some sort of refreshment on the coffee table near the fireplace. Today there is pumpkin flavored hot chocolate, a pot of tea, and a bowl of homemade potato crisps. I have a mug of the pumpkin hot cocoa here at my table with me and it is quite delicious. I guess I better get to work, if I can get my homework done before this evening, one of the other first year boys said he would teach me how to play Wizard’s Chess. I don’t know how that’s different from regular chess, but it should be interesting to learn!

Potions Tutor

I have a tutor for Potions now! I was telling one of the older Ravenclaw students how I was having trouble with my Potions work, and she said she would help me. She said we could meet once a week and practice whatever I was having the most trouble on, and she would help me and give me tips for each one. She said I should order some extra potions ingredients from the Apothecary so I have plenty to practice with. Luckily I have some extra pocket money Elizabeth left me with when school started. I sent off a big gray owl with my order, I think the brown owl was happy to have some time off. 

Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween at Hogwarts. Halloween is always fun, but especially when you go to a school for magic. The morning started off in Potions, and Professor Slughorn had clean cauldrons waiting for us. He informed us that in honor of the day, instead of brewing our normal potions we would be having a contest. The contest would be to see who could brew the best hot apple cider! And whoever did would get a prize. We all got to work, and enjoyed talking and laughing during the class. I had never made hot apple cider before, so I just added some cinnamon and nutmeg to my apple cider before heating it up. Professor Slughorn took a taste of everyone's cider, and in the end chose one of the Hufflepuff girls cauldron. He gave her a whole basket of cauldron cakes from Honeyduke's! She was very happy. We each got given a piece of Honeyduke's chocolate for being good participants.
Later that evening, there was a wonderful feast in the Great Hall. One of the professors had charmed jack-o-lanterns to float in the air. There were so many good things to eat, and more cakes and sweets than I've ever seen in one place! I ate so much I thought I would burst! I finally went back to the Ravenclaw Tower and went to bed. It was a wonderful Halloween.