Tobi thought about it. There were several angles they could pursue, and each would really be fascinating. Tobi had never enjoyed History as much as he was enjoying it now. Nothing against Professor Lainey, but he really did like Professor Truebridge, shame this was his last term.

"Well, I guess the idea behind the assignment is the top story, which usually means the biggest news doesn't it? Hmmm. How do you define the biggest news? At the time it would have been the defeat of Grindelwald, but in hindsight it might have been Tom Riddle at Hogwarts. We didn't know then what he would become, but over that time he did do a few things, like open the Chamber of Secrets and pin it on someone else. That would be news worthy, wouldn't it?"

A sudden thought occurred to him, "If Tom Riddle was here until 1945, he killed Myrtle in there somewhere. Well by extension anyway. We could make our questions about Or about the Horcruxes, they started with his time in Hogwarts it's all pretty gruesome, but a lot of news is- and I'm rambling aren't I?"

Maddox looked around, and realized he wasnt in a group. He turned and the closest person to him was Anna. He figured he might as well ask. "Um, Anna? May I Join your group?" He asked slightly embarrased.

"Perhaps we should narrow down all the events of that particular ten-year span to those we believe to be more important to history," she suggested. "Of course we have the defeat of Grindelwald, which was in 1945, Tom Riddle's entrance into Hogwarts in 1938, and then...oh, yes! We must consider the opening of the Chamber of Secrets. Riddle learned of the Chamber in 1939, but he wasn't able to open it until 1943, when Rubeus Hagrid was a fourth year Gryffindor student. I'd say those particular events, along with the events caused by the opening of the Chamber of Secrets, pretty much defined the ten-year span we're looking at."

"Oh, hey there, Maddox," Anna greeted. "Of course you're welcome to join us. We're discussing the ten-year span beginning in 1935 and ending in 1945. Any ideas as to the events which highlighted that particular time?"

Celandine thought about it for a few moments, "Well... I was thinking, that time was actually a really important time in the history and development of flying; that would be pretty big news... The first person to cross the Atlantic did so in 1935, and there were several broom releases too; at least three different brooms in that time and Devlin Whitehorn was born in 1945." Celandine recalled. "Though I think its a good idea to focus on everything we can from a Hogwarts perspective; like if we asked a student of their time about something, what events would skew their perspective? Um... and there was that Muggle war too..." Cela added. "And out of everything, I think that the students at Hogwarts would have been most effected by the death of Myrtle." Cela mused, "Poor Myrtle."

Celandine bit her lip and looked askance at Anna.

Celandine nodded slowly. "Yeah. Maddox I suppose you can join us." she wrinkled her nose. Eh. Better to focus on the assignment.

"Rubeus Hagrid was the groundskeeper and care of magical creatures professor wasn't he? He might be an interesting focus point too because he was a half-giant and it would have been a pretty big scandal when he was blamed for opening the chamber and then expelled."

Maddox grinned, and sat down. "Thanks," he replied. He pretended to ignore Cela she would just have to deal with it. He then listened to what they had to say. Then when he was asked his thoughts he pondered a moment. "Well I agree with all those points. But have you thought of considering the point when Hagrid aquired Aragog the Acromantula in 1941. If Hagrid had not aquired him, Tom Riddle wouldnt have had anyone to pin opening the chamber of secrets on. Therefore, Rubeus Hagrid would have graduated instead of being expelled. Tom Riddle would have had to close the chamber anyways due to suspicions after Myrtle's death. Which still would have left everyone wondering until the time that Harry Potter had come around, because there would be no evidence until then." Maddox shrugged and waited for evereyone else's thoughts.

Tobi found himself agreeing with Anna. "While it was Grindelwald that attracted me to this time period, I really have to say that it's the Chamber of Secrets and the first Horcruxes that have got me thinking. They freak me out a bit, but I wonder about them all the same. For instance, I'd ask Horace Slughorn and the Librarian at the time a few questions about Riddle."

Tobi raised an eyebrow at Celandine, he'd never seen her look less than perfectly cheerful. Ever. He wanted to ask her about it. Actually there were plenty of off topic things he'd like to ask her about, but he decided to put them out of his head. He'd catch up with her after class.

"That's the Second World War, I think, Cela." Actually Tobi knew. His mother was a Muggle and split Heritage Italian and Polish, what a mix when it comes to WWII, but it's the one she was. Still, his mother kept a rather heavy chest full of clippings and keepsakes from the war that her great-grandparents had managed to save from the bombings.

"I like the flying angle you've suggested Cela, and the fact that Hagrid was part giant is interesting. Do you think anyone realized it apart from Dumbledore?" As Celandine liked to point out to him, it's easy to miss the obvious when you aren't giving people enough credit.


Tobi listened to the new boy's point, Maddox, he thought his name was, it was a good one, he had to admit, but something seemed wrong with the group dynamic. Tobi could shrug it off, but there was definitely tension in the air.

"That's definitely true." Tobi agreed. "And Aragog's death many decades later would help Harry Potter in the pursuit of Voldemort, though we can't argue that particular point within the ten year time frame, Aragog was actually VERY important in the life and death of Tom Riddle. It's kind of amazing when you think about how it all ties together."

Ok... batter partner up.

Jake looked around for someone to work with. He wanted someone who he could actually sit and have a proper discussion about this with, but not someone who'd speak gobbledegook to him.

"Erm..." he looked around after writing down what they had to do, and catching up in his notes.

cedric catching up some notes given by their professor

Ruby walked over to Jake and said "sorry abiout earlier, do you need a partner?"

she needed one!!!

After an extremley boring Divination class with an insofficient supply of Oxygen, Bonnie felt thankful as she walked into the half- full History of Magic classroom. "Morning, Proffesor" she said with a faint smile as she found her seat in the back corner of the room, near the open window. Bonnie scanned the classroom for Kait but she was obviosly late coming out of Muggle studies, she thought.

Celandine nodded but decided to point out, "We have to keep in mind that if we were around during that time and asking questions; there might be things we wouldn't know about to be asking after. We are supposed to be looking at things from a journalistic perspective." Bleh. Cela totally wanted to jab the big hufflepuff in the arm repetitively right now.

Yep she was feeling disagreeable. But not to Tobi; Cela smiled sweetly at Tobi.

Celandine just poked out her tongue at Tobi and crossed her eyes when he raised his eyebrow at her, he was like.... her new Will. Actually that would be the coolest; Nicholai replaced by Will and Maddox replaced by Tobi and she wouldn't have to worry about Plymouth being murdered once they'd read the quill.

"The second world war." Celandine repeated, "Okay; so I think we have to keep in mind the things that were going on in the muggle world at that point too and that would effect things in our world." She nodded happily at Tobi's approval, "And journalists at that time might have been paid off to rave on about one broom over another; propaganda and all!" She giggled a little bit, "Oh you know, I think probably the people most likely to have noticed that he was part giant would be those who were looking for faults among people anyhow; the pureblood elitists. People forget sometimes and think that a pureblood elitist only dislikes muggleborns, but actually those elitists were against all non-wizards including non-humans." Cela pointed out, reaching her hand up and patting the pink hair ribbon she was wearing.

"Thats the point isn't it? Thinking about how it ties together; cause and effect right?" Celandine took a sheet of parchment and quill, ready to write. "So I actually don't think it matters what we decide to focus on; its more the questions that we are supposed to write that are important. Like how do you phrase a question so that you get the best, most diverse and most detailed answers, all while trying not to make the question exclude anyone and hopefully encourage the interviewee to volunteer more information?" Cela looked around, "I think there needs to be a question focussed on what they know as fact and one regarding their opinion on something.... but then what else...?"

Ethan listened to the two Hufflepuff girls and nodded before interjecting, "Start thinking of some questions you'd ask to find out more information." He encouraged them.

"You can come up with three each if you are focusing on different... well lets call them 'stories' shall we? If you are working together and focusing on the same... 'story', then three questions should be plenty." Ethan paused, "I like the questions your group have come up with so far. He looked between Copernicus, Juniper, Willow and Abby; four of his best students as it were.

"5 points from Ravenclaw for being ridiculously late." Ethan shook his head in disappointment.

"For anyone who hasn't got a partner or group; you may work on your own. It is really up to you." Professor Truebridge continued to stroke the cat in his lap and watch the class.

"Don't worry about that, it's fine," he smiled. "Honestly. And sure, pull up a chair..."

Jake looked down at his notes. "Sooooooo..." he said. "Which ten year period are we talking about? Be warned, I'm not clued up as much as most on the really recent stuff, so... yeah... That'll be book knowledge, but that may not be a problem. So, Lord Voldemort's era, Harry Potter's era, or something further back or recent?" He gabbled, not making sense to himself. Preferably, he'd have wanted to choose Voldemort's early years, either before Hogwarts or during.

"Erm, I'll let you pick."

Nancy had spent the last part of the lesson with absentmindly staring out of the window to her left and twirling her quill around causing ink drops flying everywhere, not that she'd noticed that or anything. Only now as the third year looked down at the piece of parchment in front of her with a rather blank look on her face her eyes fell on the dark blue stains that were covering the parchment. Oops. Oh well, there was something that was a lot more important than that right now, which was looking for an answer to the question that had immediately popped up in her head. What were they supposed to do?? It sort of looked like they needed to form somekind of groups but why Nancy had no clue whatsoever.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zoerawrr

"Don't worry about that, it's fine," he smiled. "Honestly. And sure, pull up a chair..."

Jake looked down at his notes. "Sooooooo..." he said. "Which ten year period are we talking about? Be warned, I'm not clued up as much as most on the really recent stuff, so... yeah... That'll be book knowledge, but that may not be a problem. So, Lord Voldemort's era, Harry Potter's era, or something further back or recent?" He gabbled, not making sense to himself.

"Erm, I'll let you pick."

Her blue eyes started darting around the room in search for someone who looked like they would be able and willing to help her with her little problem of not knowing what to do. And there, her savior: Jake! He had already paired up with a little Slytherin girl but she quickly walked over to them nonetheless giving the two a small smile before plopping down on a chair next to them. "Mind if I join you??" Then leaning slightly in with a rather sheepish grin on her lips she added in a whisper that only the two of them could hear, "Uhm...what exactly are we supposed to do again?"

Jake jumped in surprise as Nancy appeared next to him, causing him to fly sideways out of his seat. "I'm okay!" he announced, getting back up and not failing to notice that he ALWAYS ended up falling on the floor in lessons. Chairs were bad. Maybe he should stay down there.

Ya can't fall off the floor... Unless you were Jake, of course.

"Erm," Jake eyed Nancy warily. Evil person. "Sure, of course. Here," he showed her his notes.

"So, when do you want to talk about..." Jake asked. Why did that not sound right? "Erm, because I don't mind anything around Voldemort's early years or final defeat, or Harry Potter, but you choose." Nancy was sure to have a better idea, having been knowledgably of the crazy people wizarding world for longer.

Varius was lonelyyyyy, he was so lonelyyyyy, he had nobodyyyyy[/akon]. All these teachers seemed to gain thrills from asking them to group discussions or something. Maybe it was easier? They had to do very little work if all the students had to do was talk amongst themselves. Varius was soon realising this trickery!!!

Seeing Jake, already in a group of three, he walked over and asked, "Hello Jake, Ruby - nice to see you again, and hello," he didn't know the other Slytherin's name so proceeded just to rub her head instead. "Would you mind at all if I joined you all? I am so lonellllyyyy, I am so lonellly... *SHADDAP*" Without even waiting for a response he took a seat, "What's our ten year period then?"

OOC; I apologise for Varius' abruptness (he's slightly socially stunted ). If you really wish to not have me in your group I can edit, no worries <3

Nancy gasped slightly as Jake actually fell out of his chair at her appearance as she with a rather amused expression on her face watched the Hufflepuff quickly got back up telling them all that he was fine. "Uhm...okay." She chuckled still as he all of a sudden gave her a doubtful look making her face fall a bit while trying to figure out the reason for his awkward reaction. He didn't want her to join them? Why not?
Oh, obviously he did after all since the next thing he did was show her his notes about what they were supposed to do after telling her that he didn't mind her joining them after all. Huh? "Okay, great, thanks." She muttered while quickly glancing at Jake one last time a rather confused look on her face before tilting her head to the side to be able to read Jake's notes.

Choose any ten year period? Hmm...that really was a tough one, but Jake's suggestion sounded quite good to her since that was probably the eras she actually knew something about. "Yes, I'd say we-" Nancy never got to finish her sentence, though, since a small Hufflepuff boy, the one she'd seen in the library the other day actually, approached them and...rubbed her head?! Eep! Weirdo-alert. Definitely. Giving the boy an incredulous look as her hands immediately moved up to comb her hair with her fingers to make sure that it wasn't completely messy.

Jake looked up as Nancy stalled mid-sentence. "What are you-" and then Jake saw Varius. Ooh, I'm popular todaaaaaay... bwahahahaaaa. "'Course," he nodded as Varius sat down.

"Well I think that Voldemort's earlier years would be a good period of time. From when he was at the orphanage, so from about 7 years, until he turned 17. Mainly, because I think that's where we can spot the biggest impact and stuff..." Jake looked between the three of them. "What do you reckon?"

Jake had always been interested in this aspect, and the whole 'journalist-and-three-questions' aspect of this lesson seemed to fit nicely. But of course, that was his own opinion.

"I reckon it's a psychologist's dream. I should recommend it to my mum... she writes psychology books, you know," he said matter of factly, "What are we to discuss again? How this interests us?"

Jake shook his head, laying his parchment out.

"We take the ten year period, I think, and basically think of 3 questions we would ask anyone involved on what was be the top story, based on what happened. So, if we know we're going will Voldemort's earlier years, like I said, that would be around 1935 to 1945, according to this..."

Jake pointed out the right part of the page in lexicon Hogwarts: A History. "I don't think it would have been a story at that time, unless you can count him killing some poor sod's bunny rabbit, but in retrospect? Or the fact that it led up to... erm... that girl being killed by the basilisk and all..."

Ruby smiled and looked at the crowded table she thought and said "so you want to do the time Myrtle died then?" she asked Jake?

Great Bonnie thought. What a brilliant start to the year Bonnie miserably took out her copy of Hogwarts:a history and turned to the page on the board. At once she found herself to be completley confused (most unlike her usual self) by the instructions on the board, which made no sense to her at all, so she raised her hand and spoke clearly, in the hope that other students felt the same, "Sir, I don't unserstand- please could you explain to me?". At that moment, her best friend Kait walked through the door looking flustered and worried. They exchanged glances and Kait tried to sneakily join Bonnie at the back of the class without being suspected...but of course it didn't work.

Jake nodded at Ruby. "That seems like the most sensible way to do it. Maybe if we just generalise it into when he kinda sorta went a li'l evil," he replied, getting ready to write some more notes. "Right, so I suppose the people we would ask questions..."

Jake stalled a little, realising he'd just confused himself. "Erm... So... it can be events surrounding him... bugger... I forgot now, how we focus..." Jake groaned, having a head-to-desk moment. "Ok, you tell me what you think..." he stalled a little as he tried to figure out if they were doing it right.

"Well if we could we would ask Dumbledore" Ruby thought "what about Harry Potter or his family?"

Miles glanced around the room and frowned. I f only he was quicker to try and find a partner. He turned to the side and noticed Vannie. Aaah, not all was lost. He smirked and nudged her lightly. "Fancy working wi' me?" Miles smiled angelically to see if it worked.

He had an idea to discuss the Order of the Pheonix, and what they did to recruite people, and the same with the death eaters.