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bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Are these the only events for this month?

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bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
more like dank wizards

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Congrats Mulberry and Keane!

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

Podima posted:

Your extra credit assignment for this month:
Choose a magical creature from the index of your Care of Magical Creatures textbook (or something not on the list that you feel fits the theme) that you personally encountered before you came to Hogwarts. Write and submit (in this thread) a 150-300 word (flexible limit, as before) essay describing something interesting you personally observed about that magical creature.

Note that this experience doesn't have to be something already documented in your textbook - it's possible you've discovered something new that others haven't!


As before, creativity will generally be rewarded. The best essay will earn points for their House! Please make your submission by 8 PM ET on Saturday (~27.5 hours from now).

Good luck!

Since I was a young man I have always been interested in the boggart. The most well know aspect of the boggart is that it transforms into the shape of whatever the human viewing it most fears. While this is a potentially powerful method of attack, it is something that a prepared Wizard should be able to counteract, even without the use of the traditional anti-boggart charm “Ridikkulus”(1).

The key to outwitting the boggart is that its skill is an involuntary reflex. It is well known that a boggart has never been seen in its natural form by human eyes(2), and therefore it is safe to assume that boggarts must have an extrasensory ability to either consciously or subconsciously detect humans in their surroundings. If this were not the case, it would be all too easy for a Wizard to surprise the boggart from behind(3). That the boggart can assume the form of that person’s greatest fear also indicates some form of magical prescience (particularly as some humans are unaware of their own fears, until shown by a boggart).

The answer then is to have the company of a person whose greatest fear is a more abstract construct than a tangible thing. As the boggart attempts to become an abstract idea, it is more likely to either: suffer incontinence and not be recognised immediately as that concept, or become something that is inherently not suited for attack. Wizards who are afraid of death, for example, have encountered boggarts that simply transformed into that Wizard’s own corpse (4) - a frightening image to be sure, but not one that is likely to be able to attack that Wizard. My personal fear is being alone, and it would amuse me greatly to see a boggart try to become that- perhaps it would simply blink itself out of existence? Clearly, using its transformation power against it is as strong a method of fighting boggarts as the Ridikkulus charm.

1. Standard Book of Spells, Grade Three
2. As noted by Remus Lupin in his 3rd Year Defense Against the Dark Arts class on Boggarts in 1993
3. Reports have speculated that a magical eye such as worn by famed Auror Alastor “Mad-Eye” Moody would be able to see a boggart’s true form, however the one account of this given in 1995 at Number 12, Grimmauld Place does not rule out the likelihood of Moody seeing the boggart in a transformed state.
4. Although sketchy, reports by esteemed Magical Historian JK Rowling indicate that the boggart of Lord Voldemort would have been this.

bowmore fucked around with this message at 10:21 on Aug 26, 2017

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

The Ninth Layer posted:

I'm a big fan of this article too:

http://the-toast.net/2014/05/27/ayn-rands-harry-potter-sorcerers-stone/

Harry Potter as written by Ayn Rand.
It's just pointing out that Ayn Rand is scum right?

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Professor Podima, we are not legal drinking age

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

Podima posted:

Your extra credit assignment for this month:
Share your favorite "potion" (mixed alcoholic beverage) recipe with the class and explain why you enjoy imbibing it, with bonus points if you include a practical demonstration of its brewing!

Note that if your submission is good enough, I may give brewing it a go myself and share the results. :cheers: I'm sure that'd be fun for everyone!

P.S. If you prefer non-alcoholic potions or perhaps alchemical creations of a different sort, feel free to submit something to that effect! :2bong:


As always, creativity is worth rewarding. Your deadline is, let's say... 5 PM ET on Sunday (like two and a half+ days from now?)

Good luck!

Made in memory of Fred Weasley after the battle of Hogwarts, The Cracked Weasley now stands on any half decent drink menu throughout the wizarding world.

The Cracked Weasley consists of a good quality gin poured over ice, lemon juice & sugar syrup to your preference, topped w/ ginger beer, garnished with a good lashing of fresh cracked black pepper & a slice of lemon.

I enjoy drinking it I like to imagine this is the kind of drink Fred would have enjoyed best, something funny and light with a sudden punch!!

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Panic! on the Quidditch pitch

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
##date Pmush you seem like a decent person :)

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
.......well ok then

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
I'm glad you enjoyed it!

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
love continues to elude me

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
It's an incredibly hard task professor

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

Podima posted:

Tried this out today and it was an excellent drink for a nice end-of-summer breezy day! Thanks again for the excellent recipe.



##award Gryffindor
this didn't get approved

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
##approve headmaster busb

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

CCKeane posted:

Professor VivaNova thinks I'm going to be trapped in detention with her. But she doesn't understand.

*eats 5 big bowls of barley stew*

She's trapped in detention...with me.
lol

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Oh it's on son.

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
That's pretty rude, I had an event to compete in.

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

VivaNova posted:

# detention bowmore
# confiscate butterbeer

I, for one, welcome our new reptilian overlords.
I can't believe you would take me out of the last quidditch game of the year, I'm really disappointed in you professor.

I get to study Herbology I suppose

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
That's just really poor form, just because we beat Hufflepuff in the last game, such a poor sport.

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Taking out your personal matters on students is just disgraceful :(

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
I haven't broken any school rules, I would love to see the evidence.

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
the greenhouse is great

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
I hope nobody gets hurt from the duel

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Not worth it, lol

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
We'll still look after you Grandi

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

The Ninth Layer posted:

Do you have any proof of these accusations, or are you just returning to your favorite bullying victim?
going by how detentions are thrown around I don't think proof is something anyone needs

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy

The Ninth Layer posted:

So don't pretend to a moral high road. If you guys want to bully Meinberg just be up front about it.
I'm sorry but the pastry war has not been resolved yet

bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
I thought we were 12

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bowmore
Oct 6, 2008



Lipstick Apathy
Awesome :)

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