Quote:
Originally Posted by
PhoenixRising 
"License plates? Interesting..." Josephina said, as she listened to the girl talk about her adventures in adding numbers on the plates. "I wonder if there's any correlation in the numbers on the plates to the drivers of the vehicles. That would make for an interesting study." Mmm.. perhaps next time she was in Italy she would investigate.
"I agree, Professor." Lexie gave a small sigh of relief, having not make a fool out of herself by babbling nonsense. Then again, she was at Hogwarts. You'd never know when 'nonsense' will come in handy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PhoenixRising Once it seemed like all the kids had spoken their suggested, Josephina guessed it was probably about time to tread on forward with the lesson or they'd never finish on time. "Yes, you all have provided very useful techniques for counting... Whether it be just simply using your fingers or a slide board, tally marks, counting boards, abaci, or whatever." Anything EXCEPT that blasted calculator. Mmhm. We're watching you making sure you don't try and use it. "For those who have taken Arithmancy before, you're aware that it is study of meanings of numbers as method to divine their influence on human life. In some regards, it is in theory, the divination of numbers.
So today, we'll be focusing on something called Chien Tung, or Chinese Fortune Sticks. Even playing a modified version of it. Does anyone know what Chien Tung is and would care to give a brief explanation about it?"
Lexie took out a bit of crumpled parchment and a quill and began taking down notes as Professor Hadley explained about Arithmancy.
Divination... of... numbers... It doesn't sound all that interesting when you put it that way. She frowned.
Chinese... The word triggered a memory in Lexie's head as she started to recall bits of her holiday in China the previous year. She shot up her hand.
"Professor, Chien Tung is an ancient method of fortune telling. I know it as Kau Cim, because that was what the monk called it when I was at a Chinese temple in China last year. He put sticks in a cylindrical container and began to shake the container at a tilted angle till one fell out. I remember getting a number 18 on my stick but I can't... really... remember.. what.. it.. means.." Lexie furrowed her brow in thought.
"Well, the point is, the number corresponds to a prediction written down on paper," she ended.