Astrid raised her hand and said, "Ancient Runes is a mostly theoretical subject that studies the ancient runic scripts of magic. They are an ancient form of alpahbet. And they are used as a form of Divination."

"Okay, sir.." she put a full stop for the earlier confusion before she raised her hand to answer. "a writing system as "a set of visible or tactile signs used to represent units of language in a systematic way". This simple explanation encompasses a large spectrum of writing systems with vastly different stylistic and structural characteristics spanning across the many regions of the globe, Professor"

"Ummm are they an old form of the alphabet?" Sarah asked,raising her hand.

Erica raised her hand after Lizzie and said "Ancient runes is an alphabet used in divination."

Aahh. Ancient Runes. Her favourite class. At last.

"Ancient Runes studies the ancient runic scripts of magic" sad tegir with her hand in the air.

Lizzie raised her hand once again, saying And runes were used on the stones that wikings made over their dead familymembers long ago. At least that's how it worked in Scandinavia... she said, unsure if it was right but wanted to say it anyway.

Getting a thought Erica raised her hand asking "Um, on the stone tables do the runes resemble magical creatures and historical events from ancient times?"Hearing Lizzie's statment about the Wikings she hoped that Professor Clark would mention something about that.

Dominic blinked as the Professor started class and the students began chiming out answers. Oh canaries; apparently he should have read the TEXTBOOK before coming to class... Well, just hopefully the Professor didn't pick on him. And if he did, then he'd just have to make something up... it was ancient for a reason, right?

Anna raised her hand to answer. "Ancient Runes are an older form of the alphabet. They are a study of the ancient runic scripts of magic. They're also used in Divination, as well."

"Your both correct, I'll give you points if you can emphasize more in regards to your definitions?" he replied, "even in theory if you don't know the accurate details. I'd like to hear your theory" he nodded his head; once up and once down.


"Yes, All of you are correct and defined the subject in its many aspects. Three points to each!".

"The word Runes itself means; whisperings, mystery, or secrets. The alphabet itself contains 24 Runes. Each has an esoteric meaning and properties translating into a word or phrase - along with a relationship to the Norse God".

"How about we list some of these Runes? Anyone knows them off by heart?"

Entering the classroom along with some students she didn't know that well Nancy glanced around the room. Oh, well, nothing special. Just another classroom. She shouldn't have expected anything else anyway, right? Looking at all the students who were already seated she noticed Dominic and a smirk flashed across her face since the next person she spotted was Camira in the way back of the classroom.
Slowly walking down the aisle she couldn't get that smirk out of her face until she reached Camira's desk and sat down next to her. Nancy didn't say anything to Camira, although you could easily see it on her face.
As the professor started class Nancy noticed that she hadn't read the textbook which was obviously necessary to answer the professor's questions. Oh well, how was she to know that they should have learned the textbook by heart?! Listening to the answers some fellow classmates were giving Nancy took some notes and waited for some question she might be able to answer without having read the textbook.

Qaz raised her hand and replied, 'I like dagaz'

"Well, there's 'fehu'," Gwen said. "It looks pretty similar to the letter F, and it means wealth."

Wooo. She knew that! Evangeline immediatelly raised her hand and began saying the runes. "The 24 Runes are: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eiwhaz, Perthro, Algiz, Sowilo, Tiwaz, Berkano, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Ingwaz, Dagaz and Othala, Sir!"

"The first six runes spell the word Futhark, don't they?" Dominic suggested, not completely sure. Runes were so foreign and . . . ancient. Perhaps like this Professor, although the fourth year didn't dare say such a thing. "Feoh and Ur are two, I think."

As an answer to the professor's remark on her answer, Lizzie raised her hand and said I think the runes were originally used by the Wikings, and popular before our alphabet. And today they are mostly used in divination and such.

To the other question she said Well I'm not sure but I think there're some called Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz and Ansuz.. and then it was.. Raid-something. Blushing she smiled apologising and lowered her hand again. Why did everyone know all these already? She felt stupid.

Qaz raised her hand again and replied, 'Raido, Uruz, Naudiz and Ehwaz spell Rune in runes.'

Anna raised her hand. "The Runes are Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raidho, Kenaz, Gebo, Wunjo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Perthro, Algiz, Sowilo, Tiwaz, Berkano, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Laguz, Ingwaz, Dagaz, and Othala."

Erica raised her hand and said "I remember a few runes like Fehu, Raido and Laguz." It was from the ancient runes book and now it came in handy.

Astrid raised her hand and said, "The runes are: Fehu, Uruz, Thurisaz, Ansuz, Raido, Kaunaz, Gibo, Wunjo, Hagalaz, Nauthiz, Isa, Jera, Eihwaz, Perth, Algiz, Sowelu, Teiwaz, Berkana, Ehwaz, Mannaz, Leguz, Inguz, Dagaz and Othela Professor."

In response to the professors query about her answer she tried to find more in the text.
"Runes are used in Divination,and were orginally used as an alphabet by the Vikings?" She really wasn't sure as she had never even heard of them before coming to Hogwarts.


"Well there is 'Wunjo' which is like a big P shape,but has the phonetic value of 'W' or 'V',and it means joy," Sarah concluded looking down at her book.

"Three points for Dagaz! I'm very glad you like one of the alphabets, what most about Dagaz appeals to your liking?"

"Three points for Fehu" he smiled, "and Two points for giving me meaning for that Rune. Well done Grynindor"

"Aha! The entire Runic Alphabet" Fabian glanced sideways at the Slytherin, "five points for listing those". He glanced at the class with a wicked smile "I'll give 10 points to whoever gives me a definition for each" he offered slyly.

Qaz raisewd her hand and replied,

fehu "wealth, cattle"
ûruz "aurochs" (or ûram "water / slag"?)
þurisaz "giant"
ansuz "one of the Aesir" (or ahsam "ear (of corn)"?)
raidô "ride, journey"
kaunan "ulcer, illness"
gebô "gift"
wunjô "comfort, glory, joy"
haglaz "hail (the precipitation)"
naudiz "need"
îsaz "ice"
jera "year" or "harvest"
îhaz / îwaz "yew"
perþô? "chance, fate, orlog"
algiz "elk"?
sôwilô "Sun"
tîwaz (Tiwaz or Tyr, God of War)
berkanan "birch"
ehwaz "horse"
mannaz "man"
laguz "lake" (or laukaz "leek"?)
ingwaz Yngvi, Earth God
dagaz "day"
ôþalan "estate, inheritance"

Astrid raised her hand again and said, "The definitions for the runes are: Fehu - Money, finances, possessions; material goods or wealth, Uruz - Strength; virility, Thurisaz - Gateway, beginning, Ansuz - A message or signal, a secret; speech, Raido - Travel, sojourn, movement, Kaunaz - Openings, shedding light on something, fire, Gibo - A gift or blessing, partnerships, Wunjo - Joy; happiness, illumination, Hagalaz - Disruption, chaos, shattering of illusion, Nauthiz - Pain, confinement, limitation, Isa - Inaction, Jera - Fertility, harvesting, returns; reaping what you've sown, Eihwaz - Protection, defense; also withdrawl or barriers, Perth - Secrets, initiations, occult or hidden things, Algiz - Defense, protection, Sowelu - Completion, perfection, Teiwaz - Victory, conquest, Berkana - Renewal, rebirth, new beginnings, Ehwaz - Overcoming barriers, movement, progression, Mannaz - The self, humanity, Leguz- Water, sea, motherhood; intuition, Inguz - Fertility, birth, beginnings, Dagaz - Sunlight, enlightenment and Othela -The home, hearth, possessions, Professor."

"Very good. Thank you for expanding on your answers, three points each!"