My Wacky Weekend

I have to tell you about the DRENCHED time I had in Diagon Alley last weekend! My friend MEGAERA BLACK and I decided that we really needed some new STITCHMARKERS and had to get over to Diagon Alley immediately. MEGAERA BLACK put on her CHASTITY BELT because it was REMOTE and did not want to get a cold. I grabbed my INSURANCE CARD and we headed to the trains.

While waiting for our train to Diagon Alley, we chatted with HEXY ELFSHIMMER and WINIFRED HORNSWAGGLE who were planning to visit Gringott’s. WINIFRED HORNSWAGGLE did not want to go alone because she was collecting a WASP and that was very INTIMATE and brought HEXY ELFSHIMMER along for her excellence in protecting spells.

The train arrived and off we went. Our seats were very comfortable and the train sped along towards Diagon Alley and we were there in a flash! Before heading to the Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe, we went into a RUNE that sells the PRECISION OYSTERS!!! As we neared the RUNE, we noticed quite a lot of commotion! The rune owner had set the OYSTER-making machine and it had gotten stuck! OYSTERS were SPARKING everywhere! I ducked as a cream-filled OYSTER came SPARKLING right at me and it CONTAMINATED into Professor BATHSHEBA BABBLING’s CORSET just as they walked through the door! A CLOVE OYSTER did a nose dive and splattered all over the LEFT CORNER most elaborately! We made it out of the store just as a OYSTER frog and a kettle of Bertie Bott’s every flavor beans collided in a rainstorm of goo!

Since we were still RUSTY, we walked the 207 blocks over to Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlor! I decided on a cone with BITTER ALMOND ice cream and MEGAERA BLACK got the hot fudge sundae with extra DEVONSHIRE CREME! Yummy! Professor BATHSHEBA BABBLING had made her way over here as well after the incident at the OYSTER shoppe and had chosen a MEAD float.

After that, we passed Gringott’s and headed to Yrsa’s Yarn Shoppe! I tried not to look at the beautiful skeins of silk and bamboo and wool and instead, headed toward the STITCH MARKERS while MEGARA BLACK stopped to STRANGLE the stitch markers. I found a MICROSCOPIC STITCH MARKER made out of steel and made my purchase. MEGAERA BLACK kept hedging between the STITCHMARKER she came for and a pattern for a AFGHAN. She chose the AFGHAN pattern and we walked back towards the train station just in time to make the 12:30 train.

After sitting down, we noticed HEXY ELFSHIMMER and WINIFRED HORNSWAGGLE were on the train as well. WINIFRED HORNSWAGGLE looked quite WOODGRILLED to have the WASP with them. HEXY ELFSHIMMER however did not look WOODGRILLED at all. While waiting to go into the vault, a baby goblin waiting in line with his Mommy, had PHOTOGRAPHED HEXY ELFSHIMMER getting TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE all over her clean robes! The smell really was just horrendous! Apparently, HEXY ELFSHIMMER’s protecting spells don’t work well against TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE!! We made our way to a less smelly compartment and talked about how we were going explain missing Professor AURORA SINISTRA’s lecture on the valuable ways AQUAVIRIUS MAGGOTS are working with the Department of Mysteries in solving unsolvable HOOTERS!

Mad Mad Homework!

I love mad mad homework! Here's my contribution:

1. An adjective => drenched
2. A fellow Ravenclaw => Megaera Black
3. A knitting or crochet item => stitchmarker
4. A clothing accessory => chastity belt
5. An adjective => remote
6. Something you always have with you => insurance card
7. A HSKS student => Hexy Elfshimmer
8. A HSKS student => Winifred Hornswaggle
9. A noun => wasp
10. An adjective => intimate
11. A noun => rune
12. An adjective => precision
13. A food => oyster
14. An adjective ending in "ing" => sparkling
15. An adjective ending in "ed" => contaminated
16. A Professor at Hogwarts => Bathsheba Babbling
17. An article of clothing => corset
18. A food flavor => clove
19. A part of a room => left corner
20. An adjective => rusty
21. A number => 207
22. A food flavor => bitter almond
23. A food topping => Devonshire creme
24. A drink => mead
25. A verb => strangle
26. An adjective => microscopic
27. Something you can knit or crochet => afghan
28. An adjective => woodgrilled
29. A past tense verb => photographed
30. A food or drink => tuna noodle casserole
31. A Professor at Hogwarts => Aurora Sinistra
32. A magical creature in Harry Potter's world => Aquavirius Maggot
33. A noun => hooter

Let's compare! Mine are better than yours.

1. This “Harry Potter” character’s first name comes from Roman mythology. The mythological character’s twin brother is named Romulus. What is the Harry Potter character last name?

b. Lupin

2. Which “Harry Potter” character’s first name is the Roman equivalent of the Greed Goddess Athena?

c. McGonagall

3. In ‘Harry Potter’ World, this wizard has created the Philosopher’s Stone (called the Sorcerer Stone in the US). The historical figure from the 14th and 15th centuries was a scribe and a manuscript-seller who became famous as an alchemist. Who is this individual?

Nicholas Flammel

4. What is the first name of a character whose last name is the name of a Bulgarian leader from early 9th century who doubled the country’s territory?

b. Viktor

5. Which character’s name is the name of goddess in Indian mythology?

b. Patil

6. “Where the Wild Things Are” tells the story of Max, a young boy sent to bed without his supper for his wild antics. Who created this winner of the Caldecott Medal?

a. Maurice Sendak

7. What was NOT one of the unexpected defense mechanisms that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook encountered in their attempt to rob Gringotts?

d. The Geminio Curse

8. What was Snape aiming at when he cut off George’s ear?

c. Another death eaters wand hand

9. How much older than James was Lily? (Referring to Harry’s parents, not children).

d. 2 months

10. Food is one of the five exceptions to what magical law?

b. Gamp’s Law of Elemental Transfiguration

An Owl Brought Me A Gift!

At the end of a very long busy week, I was most pleasantly surprised to arrive back at my dorm room to find a wee owl sitting on the top of the pillar at the corner of my bed, but I'm afraid I startled her when I saw the package laying on my bed. I received a most wonderful kit from Clara Clearwater of Gryffindor House. After I fed, comforted and sent Ava on her way, I carefully opened the kit. Here is what first appeared to my anxious eyes! Lots of pretty blue paper!

Look at all the marvelous goodies Clara sent me!! There were two wonderful books from the wish list I keep in my head -- The Magic Loop and Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. I love making socks and have been curious about both these methods of sock knitting. Clara obviously knows I love purple because she gave me two skeins of Gloss yarn from Knit Picks in Cosmos color. She also gave me some merino fingering weight in "out of smoke" colorway from welovethor.etsy.com...SO BEAUTIFUL...plus two mini-skeins in "athabasca" and "black plums". I will have to check out what else this merchant has to offer! Clara included a circular sz 1 knitting needle from Knit Picks which, I'm guessing, she thinks I should use when I attempt this Magic Loop! There was also a package of Orange and Lemon candies which, I must admit, I am savoring!

And then there is the bag!! LOOK AT THIS BAG!! I so love it, Clara!! It's fabric with a felt handle and bottom. The size is PERFECT for my use. It's definitely going with me to work this year. It will be great to take outdoors for knitting during my lunch hour. I really can't tell you how great this bag is!



As if that wasn't enough, Clara threw in a scrabble piece necklace with Tinkerbell AND a pin with Eddie Izzard! I can definitely tell that Clara spent some time stalking me because she certainly discovered how to make me smile!



THANK YOU SO MUCH, CLARA CLEARWATER!! You rock!!

Muggle Medical Procedures

This morning I experienced a Muggle medical procedure called an MRI. I don't know why Muggles have to be subjected to such things. I had to lay flat on my back with my leg strapped into a contraption while a machine thumped and knocked and whirled for minutes on end. I could feel strange sensations in my leg and a tingly feeling in my toes. I layed there for over 30 minutes, not moving. Me...NOT MOVING!! For several hours afterwards my legs ached. I don't know if that was because of the "Muggle Magic" or because I found my muscles contracting. Oh well...it's over now and I'm back in my cozy dorm room with Druscilla, my little dragon. (Don't tell Hagrid I've got her in my dorm room!!)

Homework

1. Who wrote the obituary of Dumbledore in The Daily Prophet? Elphias Doge
2. What is a Squib? A child born in a magical family who doesn't have magical powers.
3. Who stole the locket Horcrux from the Black House? Mundugus Fletcher
4. What are the Albus Dumbledores' siblings names? Aberforth and Arriana
5. Where did Hermione leave the money for the eggs and bread that they stole from the lonely farm? Under the chicken coop
6. What is the quote Lily and James Potter have on their tombstone? The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
7. Why did Gilbert Grindewald leave wizarding school? He was expelled.
8. Where does Xeno Lovegood first say that Luna is when Ron, Hermione and Harry visit? Fishing at the stream for Freshwater Plimpies.
9. What wood is the wand from The Deathly Hallows supposed to be made out of? Elderwood
10. How did Harry, Hermione and Ron escape the vaults of Gringotts?
11. What is the name of the all-female Quidditch team that Ginny has a poster of in her room? Holyhead Harpies
12. Describe what the Undetectable Extension Charm is. A small object, like a beaded purse, that has unlimited space to store things.

Sneaking Off to Diagon Alley

A couple weekends ago Elanor Cadogan, Waverly Trimble and I decided we NEEDED to get away and make a trip to Diagon Alley. We quietly slipped out of Hogwarts early in the morning and made our way to a yarn shop called Yarn Garage. It's such a riot of color and texture...like an explosion in a yarn factory. The aisles are barely wide enough to walk through without knocking something over. We had to get down on our knees to check out some of the funky fibers and just admire all the stuff piled high above our heads. One fun thing about the shop is all the knit models hanging around the shop that we could try on to see how they look.

I did find some fantastic glittery peacock yarn that I just had to have! It didn't photograph well...too blue...but it is wonderful. I have no idea what I will do with that yarn, but it will be something special.

After we finished shopping we made our way to the pub for some fish 'n' chips, bangars and mash and just a few pints of butterbeer! We were almost able to walk a straight line when we got back to Hogwarts.