"Hey, Clifford's hungry and a bit of chocolate always perks him up!" Vindictus said and sighed dramatically for the class. "How many of you know my birthday because you've read the Quidditch magazines with all of my interviews? I'm sure one of these bright students knows the date!" He grinned and waited for that one student to raise their hand with the correct answer.

Dominic had been wistfully working away at his personal day numbers when the next thing he knew, he saw something flying towards a Slytherin boy. Apparently the flying professor thought it fit to throw a chocolate parchment covered ball at the boy. Thank Merlin for his head of house.

Then they were due to calculate Professor Vindictus' personal numbers. Well that seemed odd, but whatever. Not hard at all. Until he asked who knew his birthday.

January ... something... He thought, trying to remember the date.

Finally, the fourth year raised his hand. "It's January 18, 2018, isn't it sir?"

"That is absolutely one hundred percent correct, Dominic!" Vindictus beamed and was relishing the spotlight. "I say that is worth five points, don't you agree Professor Shackleton?"

Astrid took at another piece of parchment and started to calculate Professor Vindictus' Personal profile numbers.

Professor Vindictus ~ January 18, 2018

Personal Year Number = month of birth + day of birth + current calendar year

1 + 18/9 + 2066/14/5 = 15/6

Personal Month Number = Personal Year Number + reduced calendar month number

6 + 11/2 = 8

Personal Day Number = the number of the calendar day + your Personal Month Number.

Today’s Personal Day Number is: 4 + 8 = 12/3
Tomorrow’s Personal Day Number is: 5 + 8 = 13/4

Astrid raised her hand and said, "According to my calculations, Professor Vindictus' Personal Day numbers are as follows." She held her parchment up for everyone to see and said, "For today, his Personal Day Number is a 3. So this should be a good day to spend with friends and to be creative. His Personal Day Number for tomorrow, is the number 4. Now a 4 refers to getting organized. It could indicate that the Professor will spend tomorrow preparing for the next Quidditch match or something." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Is that right?" she asked, blushing slightly. "Ma'am, would you like us to calculate his Personal Day numbers for the rest of the week as well?"

There he was, minding his own business, wondering why Evangeline was acting kinda strange and looking at pretty Miss Shackleton when he recieved a bonk on the noggin'. Heh?

Having such a hollow head, the thingy just bounced straight back onto the table. A piece of parchment. Ooooh! But not just any old piece of scrunched up parchment apparently. Oh no, this one was SPESHUL.

Trying to ignore the way his cheeks burned furiously when Miss Shackleton called him 'nice Mr. Carden,' Clifford beamed at the Flying Professor. "Thank you, Mister Professor Vindictus, Sir." The fifth year gave an excited bounce in his seat before ripping the parchment up like a toddler with a Christmas present. YAAAAY!

"Oh, yeah sure. Whatever. Five points." Macadrian was entirely distracted by the odd feeling she had in her stomach. Something didn't feel right and she wasn't sure what it was. Not to mention she had a feeling something unexpected could happen today. But what?

Macadrian brought herself back to reality and was surprised to find that Clifford actually enjoyed having objects thrown at him. And what was that smell? Why did it smell like flowers in her classroom everytime she walked down this row? Macadrian sniffed at the air and then shrugged, making her way back to the front of the room.

"Very nicely done, Astrid. Five points for your efforts! There will be no need to calculate his numbers for the rest of the week just yet. However, there is still work to be done - we need to interpret all the numbers together."
_____________________________

Macadrian explained, "First we need to put the month in context with the year. Remember that the Personal Year has the strongest influence and is the main theme for the whole year, with the Personal Month adding its own particular twist. Now, I'd like for everyone to consider what Professor Vindictus's Personal Year number of 6 and Personal Month number of 8 might mean for him. Explain how you think it might apply to his life. And feel free to get creative..." Macadrian grinned slyly. She knew how much Max liked talking about himself, so he'd probably enjoy this part quite a bit.

Anna nodded at the professor and then flipped through her book to figure out what a 6 for the personal year number stood for, and what an 8 for the personal month number stood for. When Anna got to the correct page, she read:

Anna raised her hand. "Professor, a number 6 as a personal year number states that you should pretty much take elderly parents into consideration, and that your family will really have a need for you in that year. I don't know Professor Vindictus' parents, but I believe this means that he should try and spend a little more time with them if possible and see if there's anything he can do for them. Maybe it's just as simple as spending a little extra time with them or something," Anna explained. "This is also a time for Professor Vindictus to make sure his work life, which would be here at Hogwarts, is balanced with his home life. I suppose he needs to make sure he puts as much effort into one as he does the other." Anna blushed slightly as she looked at the next line. "This says Professor Vindictus' love life will move to a primary position in his life, so I guess he should stock up on his fair share of roses and chocolates. This is also his time to make sure everything in his life is a comfortable balance, and that he considers others as well as himself."

Anna continued to read on about having a number 8 as a personal month number. "As for having a number 8 as a personal month number, I believe this is Professor Vindictus' time to take on an even stronger leadership position using the authority and power he already has. Maybe there's something he's been wanting to get organized or solved. This would be his time to take action and get the job done. He should toss aside the old phrase, 'Never do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow," and instead focus on completing unfinished tasks or ideas. This is his time to manage his money, use his power, and figure out how to manage all aspects of his world," she said. "So, yeah...romance, money, power...I'd say Professor Vindictus has quite a future ahead of him!"

Astrid gave the professor a huge smile and said, "Well you so much!" She loved earning points like nobody's business. She quickly opened her textbook back to the Personal Year Numbers chapter and began to work up Professor Vindictus' interpretation.

She quickly read of the meaning. Well, well, well! Astrid thought. She wondered for a moment, just whom this text might be referring too. She glanced quickly at Professor Shackleton and then to Vindictus and back down to her textbook. Trying not to blush, she raised her hand and said, "It say here that the professor will be spending a lot of time focusing on providing balance between his personal and professional life. It also seems that a bit of romance is in store." She smirked slightly and continued on reading. Time for his Personal Month number. Hopefully, it wouldn't be so...interesting.

Thinking for a moment Nico raised his hand, "In a personal year of 6, it indicates that Professor Vindictus has to find a way to balance his personal life with his work life- the people he cares about will be important in this year and finding a way to nurture the needs of the people he is, in his personal life, responsible for is a focus."

Checking his textbook Nico continued, "With the personal 8 month, it indicates that Professor Vindictus will need to take an active role to ensure that things go to plan. Along with the 6 year, it might indicate that he has to take charge in his domestic life and and take an active responsibility with whatever is going on there."

Nico looked between the two professors speculatively as he continued, "An 8 month is a time were finances should be organised and perhaps that indicates that something in his personal life might occur that could cost a bit of money in the near future. Which I guess relates to the 6 year indicating that a balance needs to be found between his work and personal life. His authority and power should be helpful with that."

Astrid was happy to see that this meaning was a little less 'personal'. Good, that would make it easier. She thought. She raised her hand again and said, "During this month, the professor will be focusing on very important matters indeed. This will be a good time to really commit to the goings on at work and ensure his own success. He might also find opportunities involving his finances. Maybe he could look into possible investments."

Professor Vindictus was grinning and then ended up scowling at Anna and Nico. "Are you insinuating that there is something wrong with my marriage and my family? And how dare you say I don't spend enough time with them! Professor Shackleton, this is an outrage!"

Nicholai raised an eyebrow, "Forgive me professor but I said nothing about there being anything wrong with your family or your...marriage?" Nicholai shrugged, "I'm just going by what is in the textbook here. Which also points out that you are powerful and have great authority. So I guess it's how ever you interpret it, Sir." He nodded respectfully and offered the textbook to the Flying Professor so he could see it if he liked.

Lucas thought about the question for a minute. He had no idea about Professor Vindictus. He just knew that he had a son, but he didn't know anything else about the man.

Lenae frowned slightly. "I don't think it means there is something wrong with your marriage or your family. 'A Six personal year indicates a need to balance your domestic life with your work life as romantic relationships move to the forefront.' If anything, that indicates your family may be more important to you. The Eight as a personal month indicates that you can and should assume command over the direction your life is heading financially right now. Perhaps there is a business opportunity you have been ignoring or, conversely, that you do not necessarily need to take?"

Dominic was quite pleased when he had turned out to get Professor Vindictus' birthday correct. And on top of that, he earned five points for it too! He should have earned ten points, but whatever, he could tell his head of house was severely distracted by something going on within her. Though he couldn't quite place a figure on what it was . . .

Ignorant females

Then she addressed them all by asking them to consider Vindictus' Personal Year and Month numbers. Recalling from his notes the meaning of personal year number six - as Dominic never looked in the textbook more than once - he raised his hand. "According to Professor Vindictus' personal year number, he will really be counting on his family for support. I suspect that he will be looking at all aspects of his life, ensuring that things go smoothly and making sure he is there for his family and friends. Perhaps even family he didn't know was related..." Okay, so Dominic wasn't sure what he meant by that last sentence, but it sounded right in his head.

"As for his personal month number of eight, Professor Vindictus will be assuming command of that direction he wished to take. After figuring out his balance in his life between family and professional, this will be the month that he really takes the extra push and goes for it. Full on force ahead."

Vindictus held up his left hand. "Get that book out of my face! What do you call this band of silver on my finger? Tin foil? And the pictures of them covering my desk and on the mantle of the fireplace in my office? Images of an imaginary life?" He was clearly angry. "My wife and my son . . . Professor Shackleton, say something!"

Macadrian frowned, "Oh, Max, stop being so oversensitive. This is a learning exercise. They're supposed to be speculating. They don't know if any of this is true, but they're learning how the numbers could apply to a person's life. If you're so deadset on your stone-cold interpretation of your life, why don't you speculate on what your numbers might mean?"

Lucas shrunk back in his seat they had clearly upset the man and it seemed there was nothing to be done about it. Lucas clamped his mouth shut. He was not going to get into the line of fire on this one.

Lenae shrank in her seat, stunned by the Professor's anger and indignation. Of course, she couldn't blame him completely. If someone had accused her of not caring about her husband and child, she'd be upset as well. But the numbers didn't necessarily imply anything bad did they? Frowning, she stared at her textbook, willing the answer to appear.

Dominic blinked - horrorstruck - as Professor Vindictus practically flipped out on the older boy. Oh dear! Though he couldn't help but wonder if perhaps, since he WAS getting overly sensitive, if some of what the boy had said about his marriage were true. Protective measures maybe? Hmm . . .

"You never said anything about this learning exercise being personal," Vindictus grumbled to Shackleton and slouched in his chair. "I have a better idea - they should read your numbers."

"Not being personal? Where have you been? The numbers are called 'Personal Numbers!' What did you think they were about?" Macadrian sighed, "Fine. If you no longer wish to participate, you're free to leave. I, on the other hand, have nothing to hide and don't mind if they do my reading. Go ahead, kids. Give it a shot."

"You're forgetting one thing - they need to know your birthdate," Vindictus smirked. "And I know how you love to keep one set of numbers secret from everyone."

Macadrian's eyes narrowed, "Professor Vindictus, as my students are well aware, in nearly every lesson I offer my full birthdate up as an example. They are well aware of my age, despite the secret you seem to think it needs to be. Perhaps, you may think I should be embarrassed of my age. Perhaps you think I look too old to share my birthdate, but I'm quite comfortable with my age, thank you very much." Clearly, he was telling her she was old and ugly. What happened to the Max who used to toss compliments out like candy on Halloween? I'm not THAT old. And I may not be gorgeous, but I think I look good for my age. Hmph.

"You can't tell them that you're 29 forever," Vindictus said and it was obvious he was still pouting. "Besides, these kids don't realize that I'm richer than the Queen and that my wife prefers that I keep myself occupied by teaching." He happened to catch a scowl from Mac. "Eat a chocolate or two before that frown line remains permanently etched on your beautiful face."