Module #1 - "MINGLING" - Fall 2020

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Welcome to the Module 01 "Mingling" thread! This is about getting to interact with one another as classmates, particularly about themes from the lesson and your corresponding class work if that speaks to you. Those who post their Monologue or Manifestation may provide helpful prompts for discussion points. While you're welcome to mingle as much as you like, each of your first three 50+ word posts you will receive 5 points. When submitting your work, please let me know if you've posted once, twice, or three (or more) times so I can confirm participation. As a fun option, you may choose to Role-Play these interactions though are not required to. If you do, please take a look at this RPGuidelines page for some helpful tips.

Prof. Sindor Aloyarc takes a look around the Muggle Studies: Hidden Powers room. It's been a decade and a half since he last lead classes here at HOL as a student teacher.

"Hello, everyone!" Sin says, smiling at the different faces sporting a variety of first-day jitters, excitements, and anticipations. "I'm honored to be back in the fold of things here, and to have the opportunity to share with you some of the things I've become passionate about since my own years of schooling in these halls."

The desks have all been moved into a circular formation, and as people continue filing in to claim their seats Sindor gestures to a table by the entrance which has a large plate of doughnuts on it --plain, glazed, and frosted of all shapes and sizes, some covered in crunchy sweet crumbles or rolled in coconut-- next to a warming container filled with hot apple cider and a few pitchers of cold cider next to a pile of folded crimson cloth napkins. "Help yourself to a drink or a snack as you like, and enjoy getting to know one another. Because this month's lesson is all about ideas surrounding faith and grounding and presence, I'm quite happy to see that you've shown up for yourselves by joining us today!"

"Please take this opportunity to settle into the space and introduce yourself. Perhaps share something you're excited about with the class, whether it pertains to the upcoming term at HOL or another aspect of your life. One thing I’m particularly excited about is the chance to teach my first class as a Professor of Ravenclaw! Otherwise, one of my favorite classes I ever took here was a Dreams Analysis course, and my favorite position on the Quidditch field was Beater. Though perhaps that’s an insensitive thing to mention at this point,” Sindor joke-coughs awkwardly ”Since we’re taking a hiatus from our season to sort out some new ways of approaching the game. Another thing I’m looking forward to!”

“As you’ll know by now, I’m Professor Aloyarc, but when you see me around on mIRC, the Forums, or are shooting me an E-Owl (etc.) please feel more than encouraged to call me Sindor (or Sin for short). Alrighty!” He claps his hands to one another and rubs them together. “Who would like to introduce themselves next?"

[February Fortescue]

February rushes quickly into the classroom, her cheeks flushed with excitement. The second thing she notices, after Professor Aloyarc and the students, are the delicious assortment of doughnuts. She selects one with chocolate frosting and turns to address the class.

"Hello everyone! My name's February Fortescue, but you can call me 'Feb' if you prefer. I'm a third year Slytherin Prefect and Student Teacher, and I'm so honored and excited Sin has asked me to be his Assistant for this class! I enjoy nothing more on HOL than teaching and taking classes. My favorite subjects are usually divination, dreams, meditation, psychology, emotions, archetypes, and history. Strangly enough, just like Sin, my favorite Quidditch position is also Beater

I am really looking forward to getting to know everyone! Who would like to go next?"

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Sindor beams as the ‘Hidden Powers’ Assistant makes her way into the room, “Hey Feb!”

After she’s given an introduction to the rest of the class, he points out a particular row of doughnuts. “Those one’s, you may be interested to know, are all newly released flavors based on some of Florean’s favorite ice-cream recipes. I can’t tell which one I like best, but it’s probably a toss up between the Fudgey-Buddy Flytrap Crullers or the Fizzy Warning Cinnemorning Buns!”

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

Tarma listens to Sindor and his opening talk. She's glad she signed up for the class and wonders what kind of wonderments will happen during the course of it. Having claimed a chair at the 'Round Table' (and vastly amused to see how Sindor had arranged the desks - shades of Excalibur!), Tarma plops her backpack on the desk. Getting up to examine the goodies, she sees February rushing in. She chooses a chocolate covered custard-filled pastry and bites into it, while listening to February.

"I'll be next" she says, after swallowing her bite-full of food, and waiting for Sindor to finish talking about even more decadent foodstuffs. She smiles at Sindor, whom she's known for quite a while, and says "I'm Tarma Black. I was at school here for 7 years, passed the NEWTs and graduated and was a Post Graduate for maybe a day or two before becoming a Professor. I've played Quidditch and ...." she grins at Sindor and February, "I also prefer to play Beater! Maybe it's just something about the mahogany bats?"

[February Fortescue]

In mid chomp with her mouth full of delicious pastry, February grins at Sindor. After finishing her treat and trying to talk herself out of a second one, she realizes what he's said. "Wait. These flavors are based on Florean's favorite ice cream recipes?? No wonder they're so delicious! Sin, you have excellent taste! Seriously, class, if you haven't tried one - or three - you're really missing out! No one can come close to matching Florean Fortescue."

After listening to Tarma, February becomes even more excited about this class. Tarma raises the level of excellence in anything she's involved in, and February couldn't wait to hear her take on the class subjects.

"You preferred the Beater position as well, Tarma? I had no idea! Mahogany in general is a really interesting wood. Ollivander didn't tell us anything about it on Pottermore, although he has said it's good for Transfiguration. I understand it's an expensive wood, used only for the very best. That's us, right? Hahaha. I've also heard it's connected to the earth element and being grounded ties into our first lesson."

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

"Oh, how interesting!" Tarma exclaims, her mind going to the Wand-making class and observations about mahogany there, as well as to what Pottermore has to say about it and then to other various sources. She knew that mahogany wasn't mentioned in her class nor on Pottermore. (She knew why 'she' hadn't listed it, but had no idea why Pottermore didn't.) After all, James Potter had a mahogany wand and she figured that the strength and resilience of mahogany, as well as other characteristics of that wood, suited James. She realizes she's gone off on a tangent again, and focuses on February. "Yes, it's fairly expensive but I think the main reason it is good material for a Beater's bat is that it's so very lovely! It's tough and resilient and just feels good in my hands."

She pauses a moment, thinking and remembering more. "It's also good for protection, and that's what we're doing, as Beaters, in a way?" She grins. "The element of earth, along with fire -- those are both an integral part of what 'mahogany' is .... and so it is good for our first class! But, just as we are protective of our teams, we need to be protective of the earth -- and make sure that any mahogany we use is sustainably harvested. Which goes back, again, to being grounded, to 'root energies'!"

[February Fortescue]

"That's very interesting, Tarma! I had never considered Mahogany's protective qualities before. My own wand is Rowan, which also has a deep connection to protective energies and that particular quality is important to me, so you may be on to something! Maybe that is a big reason why I enjoy the Beater position! I do wish Ollivander had given us more information about the wood, though." February sighed.

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

"He simply didn't ever make wands with that wood" Tarma muses, half to herself and half to February. She glances at Sindor, wondering if he knows anything about the matter, then looks back at February. "February, do you know why Mr. Ollivander didn't use mahogany or ... if he used to use it and then discontinued for whatever reason?"
She glances at the goodies on the table -- and reaches out to take another.

[February Fortescue]

"That's a great question! Ollivander told Harry about a Mahogany wand choosing James Potter while he was in his shop, so I think Ollivander sold at least one Mahogany wand. That seems to be the only mention of it. How interesting!"

[Prof. Tarma Amelia Black]

"Yes, there is that wand -- 11 inches, mahogany and pliable -- but I don't remember what the core was. I wonder if that is the last wand that Mr. Ollivander sold of mahogany. I wonder, too, if he didn't have any in stock after that date, that he simply wasn't making them anymore and that wand was something inherited from his father, as part of the stock of the shop?"

Tarma finishes the last bite of the pastry and looks over at what Sindor had called Fizzy Warning Cinnemorning Buns. She feels that it might have been a good thing that she didn't eat breakfast, as she reaches for one.

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

"Well!" Sindor says, half hushed and half an excited stage whisper, "There are many who believe that Garrick's transition away from the use of mahogany within his wand-crafting was due to the loss of someone he deeply loved in an all-consuming way. Which..." Sin's eyes squint a little as his head tilts from side to side, "In a manner of speaking, I agree with. But!" Now his blue eyes become large, full of intrigue, "My feeling is that the truth lies somewhat adjacent to this classic legend."

Sindor takes a swig of cold cider before continuing.

"It seems evident in my opinion that those with enough interest to pay attention to his comings and goings are of a mind that Mr. Ollivander is both an exceptionally brilliant and arguably highly enlightened Wizard. In her book 'Wanderings,' Zycka Clydemore poses a theory that the deep attachment which drove him to avoiding this particular wood was not the loss of someone other than himself, but the loss of He himself. His own ego. That in the most powerful moment of his enlightenment and journey of consciousness, it was clear he would never be the same person again and must therefor mourn the loss of his previous perception of existence while continuing to carry the honor and duty of his own weight forward through time/space toward what seemed to him the greatest of all mysteries."

"By way of expressing reverence for this experience, as well as the life he lead up until that point, he made a 13.7-inch wand out of mahogany —known for a multitude of its transformative qualities— with the core of Sphynx Eyelashes (now unofficially banned by makers), then burnt it. Rumors say that he mixed the ashes with oil, herbs, and a small amount of his own blood, then added this to a bowl of cooked rice, placing a scoop of the final product outside in each of the four corners of his home. Paying respects to Life by offering service to those beings who would utilize this effort for food (which, in this case, turned out to be mainly ants). Claims have been made of sightings that the famous wandmaker went on to continue the practice of putting rice out every day from that moment on as an expression of giving thanks for his station in the greater whole of creation."

"Then again," Sindor laughs at himself. "You know me, Tarma, there are probably at least ten other stores I've heard which I'd happily still entertain, and I always LOVE hearing new ones if anyone happens to have some in mind?? If I'm not mistaken, Ollivander himself has said to believe in quite a hodgepodge of Multi-Dimentional/Fictional Realities, which has given him quite an open-minded look into how one person's concept of any particular 'Moment' might seem (perhaps even accurately) quite entirely different compared to someone else's."

[Brianna Caedmon]

Brianna rushes into the classroom, a fluffy black kitten sitting in the hood of her Slytherin robes, currently attempting to eat a lock of her dark hair.

"Professor... uh, Sin, I'm so sorry I'm late. Orion, my kitten that is, he's only about 10 weeks and he just wouldn't leave me alone. Is it okay if he stays for this lesson? It's just he always somehow finds his way out of the common room and to wherever I am anyway and- oh, are those doughnuts?".

She leans in to grab a glazed doughnut from the table before pulling out a seat, desperately trying to stop Orion- who is now on her shoulder- from trying some.

"I'm Brianna Caedmon, a second-year Slytherin," she says in between bites "I'm so happy to be here, this class seems really interesting! I hope I didn't miss too much yet? I think I heard you talking about Olivander and why he stopped using mahogany or something? That's really interesting! I don't know much about wands but I'm hoping to learn more in the future.".

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

“Hello, Brianna!” Sindor says, as Ms. Caedmon presents a kitten in the hood of her robes. “Aww!! How sweet, yes absolutely Orion can stay with us.” He looks around at the rest of the class “Which goes for anyone else as well if you have an animal friend you’d like to bring to future lessons, so long as they’re relatively well behaved.” He chuckles and turns back to Brianna “Love the name you chose for this little one. My star family is predominantly from that constellation, so I’m rather fond of seeing it, or any reminders of that part of my home. And congratulations on the start of your Second Year here! There’s something about seeing the transition of recently graduated firsties returning for year-two that I have always found to be particularly magical!”

[Brianna Caedmon]

Brianna audibly sighs in relief as she hears Sindor's response. She has no idea how she would ever get Orion to leave her alone long enough for the class if he'd refused. She smiles and reaches out to tickle Orion's chin, who leans in to the attention and purrs.

"Thank you! I named him Orion because despite seeming mostly black he does have a few stray white furrs that remind me of stars agains the night sky so a constellation just felt fitting! And Orion is probably the constellation I can most easily recognise and I often use to navigate at night. Plus, he's already shown himself to be quite the little hunter, so it fits in that sense to! I'm really glad you like the name and the reminder of that part of your home."

Brianna pauses to take another doughnut, this time one with an apple flavoured filling and chocolate icing.

"And yes, there's definitely something different and, indeed, magical about being back for a second year! It's like everything is both new and old simultaneously! I'm hoping this feeling will last."

[February Fortescue]

"He's gorgeous, Brianna!" February beams. She loves cats "Orion is a great name! I'm no fan of cool weather, but one of the sights I enjoy most is the return of the constellation Orion. That belt was the first group of stars I ever learned how to pick out in the night sky, and I always look for it."

[Brianna Caedmon]

Brianna, who has now finished her second doughnut, grins at February.

"Thanks February, would you like to pet him?" Brianna shifts over slightly so Orion, who is still on her shoulder, is where February can reach him. "He loves attention!".

Brianna pauses to take a mug of hot cider before continuing. Orion does not seem remotely bothered by the movement, continuing to balance on her shoulder.

"It was the first one I learned to identify too. Or at least, it was either that or the big dipper, I'm not sure I remember exactly. It's definitely one of the easiest to recognise though. Also, I am the opposite of you on weather it seems- I find myself spending all summer wishing it would just hurry up and cool down!".

[February Fortescue]

"Yes, please!" February grins as she strokes Orion. "I'm so glad Hogwarts allows us to bring cats!"

"The Big Dipper is another great constellation! That one is visible all year. My other favorite is Cassiopeia. All I can identify is her "throne" which to me looks like the letter m. She's always there too. But I think the reason Orion is my favorite is because I know he still exists, even when I can't see him, and he'll return when the timing is just right."

[Prof. Sindor Aloyarc]

Sindor notices the white pieces of fur Brianna referred to as resembling stars. "Oh, wow, that's super fun. So pretty!" He rubs the kitten under their chin while presenting his left forearm, about half way up (on the top side). "I have these three freckles in the shape of Orion's Belt that didn't used to be there. They appeared only recently at the very beginning of 2018, just after my first Saturn Return finished its transit." Sin shivers joyfully, "It was SUCH a cool gift to notice them one morning. A little commemorative 'congratulations!' was my impression."