Text Cut: PhoenixRising
Quote:
Originally Posted by
PhoenixRising 
Listening, Josephina smiled when the students seemed to even know the geographical significance of the Chaldean method. "Yes, Babylonia, or as Prefect Greingoth made more specific, the southern part of Babylonia. Which is present-day Iran and Iraq, as Captain Marius added for us." Wealth of geographical knowledge it seemed, her captain had. Though she couldn't fight off the sense that Keefer and Sierra were perhaps competing to add the most originality and detail to their answers?
"Why is the number 9 omitted from Chaldean Numerology System?"
Sierra grinned when her answer was highlighted. Of course it was the right answer. Duh. She was simply awesome like that. Of course the Puffer had to add in even more information. At least it wasn't Hollingberry this time, though...
She started to raise her hand to respond to the question when the Puffer captain himself chimed in.
Text Cut: hpluvr037
Quote:
Originally Posted by
hpluvr037 Now this was something he couldn't know from basic geography and knowledge of ancient civilizations. But he could hazard a guess, no?
Two hands shot up into the air, well before fellow student leader, Sierra Greingoth, could manage a response.
"Honestly, I have no idea. But ancient people tended to be rather superstitious and violent. So my guess is that it had something to do with their religion, perhaps it was the number of love, war, fertility, something along those lines?" Or he was way off.
"But what confuses me there is that I thought the Babylonians had a base-60 numbering system, so it seems far less likely that this specific number would garner any significance. Like for our base-10 system, 9 is the last digit before you have to add another place value and power of 10. But nothing like that holds with theirs." AND he was rambling now.
Back on topic."Er.. I guess what I'm saying is... perhaps it has some superstitious quality? I know the Jews had a word they wouldn't use because it was holy, and other religions have numbers that are sacred. Maybe this is just another example of that."
That's right, Greingoth. The Puffs can beat you in class, why not on the Pitch?
And most importantly, WHAT had he eaten for breakfast this morning? It seemed to be stimulating his brain in an unusual way.
Oh, for the love of Merlin! Did the poor boy have some crush on Hadley, or something? Surely the question didn't need
that detailed of answer. Nevertheless, he'd answered just before Sierra, which gave her the upper hand. Why spend valuable time thinking when you can wait for the Puffers to give you all the answers?
Puffers = hard workers
Slytherins = those who benefit from the hard workers
Sierra happened to know this answer, though, and it
wasn't what the Puffer had said.
"...because the Chaldeans thought the number was holy and should be set apart," Sierra said, raising her hand.
"However, ...if a name happens to total nine then the nine remains."