Thursday, April 29, 2010

Quidditch Match this Saturday

I'm so excited about Ravenclaw's first quidditch match against the Slytherins. I'll be cheering from the stands, but I've agreed to be an alternate so maybe you'll see me out on the pitch.

I think we've got a strong team. The Slytherin beaters are going to have their work cut out for them!

Since we didn't have any homework this week, I've decided to do the Mad-Libs that was posted in my common room:
Part 1, the words:
1. a verb: skip
2. a number: 4011
3. a body part: ear
4. an abstract noun: beauty
5. a noun: sausage
6. a skin condition: eczema
7. a body part: elbow
8. type of person/stereotype: hipster
9. a substance: goo
10. a fortune cookie phrase in all capital letters: A PLEASANT SURPRISE IS IN STORE FOR YOU
11. article of clothing: ascot
12. verb ending in "-ed": punched
13. neurological disorder: narcolepsy
14. an animal: emu
15. a fruit: kiwi
16. a latin (sounding) phrase in all capital letters: PERGO MOVARTIS
17. a body part: ankle
18. a large animal: humpback whale
19. a food: edamame
20. a body part in plural: fingers
21. a verb ending in "-ing": leaping
22. a nonsensical word in all capital letters: CREMTILBEG
23. a container: bucket
24. a body part: wrist
25. a noun: tile

Part 2: The story
Harry Potter And The Curse of Dudley

Harry Potter, the boy wonder, the (hipster) of the wizarding world; sat alone in his tiny bedroom scratching his (elbow) and cleaning the (goo) out of Hedwig's cage. This summer wasn't nearly as boring as his previous summers had been.

Over the summer, his cousin Dudley had grown quite frightened of him. Harry secretly kept cursing him, even though under age use of magic was strictly forbidden outside of Hog(eczema)'s school of (sausage)craft and (beauty).

It seemed the wizarding world turned a blind (ear) when it came to Harry, and he never got in trouble for his... transgressions.

One particularly memorable curse on Dudley happened on the (4011)th/nd/st of June. It was so hot, you could (skip) a/an (tile) on the sidewalk.

Dudley sat on his enormous (wrist) in front of the telly, spooning (bucket)ful after (bucket)ful of (edamame) down his throat. Harry thought he looked rather (humpback whale)ish, with his piggy little eyes and fat body.

Harry got an evil little grin on his (ankle) and raised his wand behind Dudley's head. "(PERGO MOVARTIS)" he shouted; which translated to English means "Turn this boy's head into a (kiwi) and make him dance around like a (emu) with (narcolepsy)!"

And that's just what Dudley did! He (punched) off the couch, screamed "(CREMTILBEG)!" to the top of his lungs, and began (leaping) on the floor, while turning in circles and flapping his (fingers).

Harry was laughing so hard, he almost peed his (ascot). He was still laughing, and Dudley was still flapping, when Uncle Vernon came thundering down the stairs. He had gone a nice shade of purple. He looked at Harry, shaking in anger, then looked at Dudley, horrified. "(A PLEASANT SURPRISE IS IN STORE FOR YOU)!" he screamed, then calmly turned and walked away.

Harry and Dudley looked at each other in abject confusion. Harry shrugged his shoulders in a "beats me" gesture, and the two cousins sat on the sofa, temporarily forgetting their animosity toward one another.

Dudley lifted the half empty (bucket) of (edamame) and offered it to Harry.

"Don't mind if I do!" said the bespectacled young man, grabbing a spoon and preparing to dine.

Dudley's (fingers) gave one mighty final flap, and the boys had a most enjoyable evening, indeed.

Friday, April 23, 2010

S.P.E.W. & the beginning of a beautiful Quidditch season

I've made some little booties for Ms. Mooney our S.P.E.W. coordinator for this term.



I think I'll try to knit another pair but change the pattern to in the round, maybe use smaller needles as well.

Tomorrow is the first Quidditch game of the season! My sister Intarsia Bindoff is keeper for Gryffindor! I'm going to be cheering loudly from the stands. Gooooo Intarsia!!!! Knit Crochet now Knit again like the wind!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Care of Magical Creatures Homework

Part One:
For my Care of Magical Creatures homework, this will be my originality marker:



Here are 5 items that I always like to have handy for Care of Magical Creatures:
1) A shiny gold bank filled with shiny coins to attract Nifflers. There is a handy "mute" button on the bottom to make the bank & its contents not shiny so the Nifflers don't attack the person holding it or destroy the room that it's in.

2) Gloves for handling Blast-Ended Skrewts & other such spiny creatures.

3) Goggles for protecting my eyes from venom, nasty juices, and other hazardous fluids that a creature might spit or emit.

4) Chocolate in case you run into dementors, or in case you need a pick me up after a long, boring afternoon of observing flobberworms.

5) This item was originally going to be my "happy thought" for conjuring my patronus to protect myself from dementors:

but when I tried to capture my "happy thought" with my originality marker, it turned into a not so happy thought:GRRR!!

Soooo, instead item #5 will be my lunar calendar & wolfsbane potion to help relieve werewolves of some of their pain during the full moon. (Looks like I'm almost out of wolfsbane potion, must remember to brew some more)


Part Two:
1. Please describe the physical appearance of a house elf.
Large, pointy ears, long nose, bulging eyes, 2-3 feet tall, spindly arms & legs
2. Kreacher is the house elf of which wizarding family?
The Black Family (inherited by Harry Potter, after Sirius' death)
3. What is Hermione Granger making for the house elves?
Little house elf sized hats & socks
4. How do you free a house elf?
Present him/her with clothes
5. What does S.P.E.W. stand for?
Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare

Part Three: Bonus/Extra Credit assignment, S.P.E.W. hat

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Transfiguration Homework

I've finally managed to complete my transfiguration homework.
Here is my originality marker.



Now for the Bowtruckle:

Vigoro Virga (turns the twigs, tape & paper into a bowtruckle)



The Rememberall:


Creo Memoria (creates a rememberall from paper after being cut with scissors & colored with markers):



Golden Snitch:


Vegeto Snitchium (creates a golden snitch from paper after being cut with scissors & colored with markers):



Hagrid's Rock Cakes (yuck!):


Burnio Crustium repeat 15 times or until you smell something burning in the kitchen (creates rock cakes from slices of baguette placed in oven)



Decoy Detonator:


Creo Diverto (creates decoy detonator out of foil)



Nose-Biting Teacup


Aggro Taza (creates nose-biting teacup using paper, tape, scissors, marker & teacup)



Spectrespecs:


Coloro Oculus (creates spectrespecs from glasses, candy wrappers & foil)



Time Turner:


Reddo Tiempo (creates time turner using old top, paper, foil & marker)



And now for a look at all my work (minus the stinky rock cakes):

I'm pleased with my creations. Unfortunately slices of bread were harmed during the completion of this assignment. I really meant to get them just nice & brown & toasty. sigh

Friday, April 2, 2010

Soar Ravenclaw!!

The new term has started. I'm so excited to be at Hogwarts, and I was sorted into Ravenclaw!
For our first homework assignment we are supposed to write about three of our favorite people from the wizarding world. It is so hard to pick just three! I love so many. But I have chosen and here they are along with their qualities that I love.

1)Sirius Black: I love Sirius. He doesn't play by the rules, he is loyal to his friends, and he's an animagus! How cool is it that he can turn into a big, black dog? He follows his heart and he is passionate about what he believes in. I love his devil-may-care attitude. I was terribly upset when he died; poor Harry could have had wonderful summers if only Sirius had survived. (I really love the way Gary Oldman portrays him in the movies.)

2)Hermione: She is, as we all know, amazingly smart and ingenious. I love that she knits hats for house-elf liberation and that she put together S.P.E.W.! Hermione is loyal and compassionate. She has an obsession with finding the answer to every problem (I'm the same way). I also love that she challenges herself. I've never had to use a time turner so that I could make it to all of my classes, but I would really like to have one!

3)Hagrid: Who else could take care of the most dangerous magical creatures? I love animals just as much as he does. He, like Sirius, doesn't mind breaking a rule or two. I think I must like people who aren't afraid to bend the rules. I love that he always wanted a baby dragon & that he got one! If I had a dragon I would want this one: