A hint of a smile tugged at the Gryffindor's lips. So, she had been right in her guess earlier. That was slightly reassuring. When Professor Hadley asked the next question, Kurumi picked up her quill and took it to her parchment to write out her thoughts a bit, taking in what others were saying as she did.

First thing to consider was one's Life Path Number, which essentially told you the path you will follow and part of you was needed to help you on the road to greatness - what strengths in yourself that you should be sure to use and fall back on. Your Growth Number wasn't about what you should use, but HOW to grow in your strengths as you went down your life path and showed you where your potential lied. The key in this was, to Kurumi, was the word potential. Life Path seemed to be showing what was known, more of an absolute as it were, where as Growth was more giving you a blue print to follow, a map. Which left her with the remaining Family Name Number to recheck its meaning, which they had just gone over - your last name reveal your spiritual nature, your inner subconscious response to life. While all these definitions were nice...they weren't facts and Kurumi needed to work in facts right now.

Looking down at her notes again, Kurumi looked at HOW the numbers were calculated and instantly noticed some similarities. Taking a deep breath, Kurumi decided to finally raise her hand. "Does it have something to do with how the numbers are calculated? Your Life Path Number doesn't use the letters of your name, but is based on your birth date. Your Growth Number and Family Name Number are found by adding together the numerical values of the letters in your name, first name and surname respectively. So, in a sense, they build off each other." And with that, Kurumi lowered her hand.

Tayla flipped to the previous chapter and read the description for the Growth Number. She thought about why it would relate more to the Family Name Number than to the Life Path.

"Professor," Tayla began as she raised her hand. "I noticed that the Growth Number is calculated using a person's first name. And, as the name suggests, the Family Name Number is calculated using one's family name. So..." Tayla paused, trying to figure out how to word her answer. "Perhaps it's because...they...connect...or are partners...somehow...for a person's name.

"And I guess...it's because family is a great influence on a person's growth, especially during the earlier years. But..." Tayla paused again, a sudden thought of Sirius Black from history popping into her head.

"But I don't think it's the case for everyone. I'm sure it's known that there are some people who grow up to be very different from their families."

Oh good. He changed it. Yes, it was definitely better to work with someone who had a clear-cut namesake, rather than one that was simply a nickname.

Nodding at the second year as he fixed his work and then offered a suggestion about the question, "It does... sort of. The growth number is your potential. Your family generally speaking, helps you to achieve your potential. This doesn't have to be your biological family, by the way." No. Any type of family could be an acting force.

Fina nodded. "That too. Growth number will .... zero in on one of your talents and abilities. It'll be something honed by our families."

Of course it had something to do with the way the numbers were calculated too. "Yes. I do think this plays a huge part. Whether you use your birth date or your name to calculate something ... has different meaning. And of course, is a different number entirely that you would be calculating."

Ah, and here Amelia too pointed out what she pointed out. In a different way. "I think it exactly has to do with that. Your family shapes you. Your family helps you into the person you're to become. You wouldn't be on your life path without prodding and encouragement from your family."

Fina nodded as Tayla mentioned what others had mentioned with how the number is calculated and then also about the family being a great influence on a person's growth.

But then her last comment. "Yes, people can grow up to be very different from their biological families. Because I think that some people are molded by many different families..... you have your house families, your extended families, adoptive, .... all those different families meld together as driving forces which push and pull you along your destined life path. Your growth is changed by those you meet."


"As many of your classmates already mentioned, the growth number is calculated from the letters in your first name. Using the historical name that you used in calculating their family name, I want you to calculate that person's growth number." And she was pretty sure most of them knew their first names, with the exception of a few students which she already corrected and steered toward picking a different name.

Lily's smile fell into a frown as the professor told her that she had the wrong answer. She was still used to her muggle math classes where it was really easy for her... Now there was a need to read the book ahead of time to make sure she had answers that were correct. As she started to doodle on the parchment, Lily listened to the next question but didn't bother to answer it, since she had no idea of what the answer could be.



Oh, now they were calculating their growth numbers for their historical character... Lily stopped doodling and went to work to try and calculate the number she needed.

As she finished her calculations, Lily put down her quill and looked up towards the professor, so as to say that she had finished calculating the number.

So, now they were calculating growth numbers. Seemed easy enough. Ravenclaw's first name was Rowena.


Silvia wasn't quite sure how that number fit Rowena Ravenclaw, but there were plenty of things she was sure she didn't know about her. Looking around, she noticed that many students were still working on calculating their numbers. Silvia was about to set her quill down and wait for the lesson to continue, but then she had a thought; the name Ravenclaw was attached to two historical people. So she went ahead and calculated the other name for more practice.


That seemed to fit, when one considered the history of both Ravenclaws. If it weren't for their deaths and had Rowena had a chance to forgive her daughter, Silvia was sure that would have been a point of great growth for the family.

Alright, so now they were working on the growth number. Ella needed to work with the first name now and that was Helga. She smiled, thinking that the name Helga Hufflepuff had quite a nice ring to it before she set to work. She picked up her quill and began to do the calculations, double checking her work as she went.

When Ella had calculated the growth number for Helga, she looked in her book to figure out what that number meant.

She smiled, thinking that was a nice thing-growth through love.

Minerva listened as the growth number was explained and then took out her parchment and began to write.

Parchment:

Minerva looked in her book and found that the number 6 meant that someones greatest growth will come through love. That seemed very interesting for Helga Hufflepuff.

Bahh.

Sierra's plan hadn't exactly worked out the way she'd hoped. She'd chosen Elizabeth Burke because of her short last name. A short last name, of course, meant less work in doing the calculations. Now she had to deal with Burke's tremendously long first name. Well, maybe not tremendously long, but not as short as Burke.

Picking up her quill, she began her calculation.

E L I Z A B E T H
5 3 9 8 1 2 5 2 8

5+3+9+8+1+2+5+2+8 = 43
4 + 3 = 7

SEVEN (7): Your greatest growth will come from knowledge of mystical and spiritual wisdom.

Sierra pulled her quill away from her parchment and examined her work. So Burke had a seven here. What in the name of Merlin was mystical wisdom?!

I have no idea what mystical wisdom is, but it makes sense that a person would grow out of more wisdom, so this looks good to me.

Harvey listened to the professor as she explained Growth Numbers and how they can change over a person's lifetime. She then told them to work out the Growth Number for the historical figure they had used before.. the professor had mentioned to add up the figures for the letters of the first name of this historical person.. so Harvey set to work working out the growth number for Rowena Ravenclaw..



There he had done it.. he checked his working out after writing it and the meaning down.. and then he waited for the class to move on.. normally he hated mathematical work,... but for some reason he was enjoying Arithmancy quite a bit.

Alyssa listened and wrote down what the Professor has to say about the Growth number. Then quickly started working on the Growth Number of the historical person she had first selected to calculate the Family Name Number. Newt Scamander was what he was known as but his full first name was Newton. So Alyssa proceeded to calculate his Growth Number using that name.



Again Newton 'Newt' Scamander's Growth Number described him perfectly. He had to assert himself to get the Ministry to create the Werewolf Registration in 1947, as well as, establish the Lifetime Ban on the Experimental Breeding of Magical Creatures in 1965. The latter couldn't have made him popular with alot of people.

Grogan was a REALLY strange first name and Oakey hoped for a REALLY strange outcome. He picked his quill up and began doing the calculations.

Eight again?! Mr. Former Minister Grogan Stump you needed some variety with you numbers. He laughed though as he finished writing the description. I guess there is no number greater than eight for a Minister of Magic.

Nodding as Professor Hadley responded to her suggestion, Kurumi jotted down a few notes in the margins of her parchment and listened as the professor addressed more student's answers. Family number...it certainly made the Gryffindor think a lot about many things, specifically who she considered family - and not just her immediate one.

She was always saying that Selina was like the older sister she never had. Yes, older because more often than not the fourth year was the one comforting Kurumi and taking on the big sister role. Kurumi had only been the older sister a few times. It was kind of nice how that worked out to be honest. How easily the roles could be swapped around. Then there was Lexi and Salander, her Mama Lion and Papa Snake, who took her under their wing from the very start. She wondered how they were doing...she should probably write to them soon about...stuff...
But then Professor Hadley moved the lesson along and asked them to calculate the Growth Number of their person. Kurumi really wanted to add Sir to Sir Nicholas' name, but that was more of a title and not part of his name...or was it? Could she include it? It wasn't on his birth certificate she was pretty sure - if they even had those back when he had been born. Settling for just Nicholas for now, Kurumi took her quill to her parchment and began to calculate.

Hmm...Kurumi didn't really know enough about Sir Nicholas to know about his level of compassion or forgiveness...but it was probably his inability to forgive that had made him a ghost, right? Possibly. Perhaps she could get an interview with him later and find out? Something to look into at least.

Tayla nodded as she listened to the professor. When they were instructed to work on Growth Numbers, she took her quill, moved to a clean page on her notebook, and began to calculate.



"Godric Gryffindor's family name number is five. His growth number is two," Tayla thought as she reviewed her calculations. She turned to her book and softly read what 'two' meant as a growth number. "Your greatest growth will be relationship with others. Hmm..." Tayla thought of the relationship Godric Gryffindor had with the other three Hogwarts founders.

Then realizing her calculations had also reached eleven, a master number, she read its description, too. "Your greatest growth will come from teaching spiritual truth and balancing your energy."

Tayla bit her lip in thought. "Godric Gryffindor's growth number probably follows this Eleven... Eleven slash Two..." But she wasn't sure. She raised her hand and decided to ask. "Professor...what happens when a person gets more than one Growth Number? Godric's is two and eleven...but is the meaning of his growth number based just on eleven since it's the Master Number? Or do we connect the two meanings together?"

Josephina noticed Little Hutchinson set her quill down first, but something about the girl and the way she studied her parchment told her she wasn't done yet. So she made a mental note to revisit the second year again and moved on to another claw instead.

One who was sitting near Indy, actually, and Fina couldn't help but wonder.... but discounted that on the fact that Indy was still working. This girl set her quill down and was waiting for her to check her work. "You missed a digit for Rowena. There's six letters in Rowena." She pointed out only two 5s on the parchment.

Walking toward another first year claw, she glanced over the girl's parchment, finding it intriguing that she calculated the growth number for not just Rowena, but Helena too. And they were both right too, from what she could tell. "Good job," she said, nodding simply.

Oh and now it looked like Indy was done. Backtracking, she looked over at the Little Hutchinson's work and nodded at her correct parchment. "Nice job." Mmhm. At finding her own mistake too.

Next up was a young first year puff.... approaching the girl's desk, she looked over her calculations for Helga. Six. "Good job," she nodded, thinking of the irony about Helga's growth number.

And Minerva too was done. She nodded approvingly upon seeing the second year too had come up with six for Helga.

Seeing Sierra had set her quill down, Fina approached the fourth year to check out her calculations next. Long name, yes, but the girl figured it out. "Good job, yes. Seven does look to be correct and a rather interesting growth number as well...."

And another claw who calculated the number for Rowena; Harvey at least had the right number of digits used for her name. She nodded approvingly at his calculation.

And then nodded again, as she came toward Alyssa's desk and noted at her calculations for Newt Scamander.

Approaching the desk of Amelia next, Fina hadn't been expecting any errors among her calculation and smiled when she did, amused at the girl's doodlings. Well hopefully she'd entertain the girl more next lesson. Maybe.

She nodded as she moved on toward Oakey...

Who's selected Hufflepuff had the same number for Growth and Family Name. How intriguing.

His calculations were correct too.


And now toward the Gryffindors.... Fina approached Kurumi's desk too, to which she nodded at the girl's calculations for Sir Nick's growth number. No misplaced digits this time.

Hearing a question from a younger Gryffindor, she scurried toward her to have a quick peek at the girl's parchment and then nodded. "You only would have one growth number. If a person gets a Master Number before your final reduction to a single digit, then you would use the interpretation for the master number."

Having a quick peek at her notebook, she noted the list and mentally checked them off. The lesson she knew felt a bit short, but they'd gotten through the material so .... yea.

"Well, we've finished a bit early today, but that's all for today's lesson. You're free to go and enjoy an extra few minutes before your next lesson. The Homework Assignment will be posted outside my office door by the end of today. Thank you all for coming." They wouldn't object to the shorter lesson, right?

Jory had really enjoyed today's lesson. It was unusual since Arithmancy wasn't one orf his strongest subjects. The third year gathered his stuff and headed for the door.

"Bye, Professor Hadley,'' he called as he left "Great lesson.''

Catch up!
 

Glenn watched the professor check her work. Wait. Why was she frowning? She looked away from her own work to see what everyone else was doing. And that was not their own names. Whoops.

She crossed out her work, a little frustrated. Why did she always mess this up? "Sorry. I- I didn't realise."Glenn assumed from her teacher's expression that she had got it wrong anyway. Making sure that everyone was just waiting, she set about correcting her answer that she- well wasn't really supposed to be doing anyway. But wait. What had she got wrong? She didn't raise her hand but frowned and stared at her calculations for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out what she had gotten wrong before she realised the teacher had moved on.

Oh Merlin. She had spent a lot longer on the question she wasn't supposed to be doing than she had realised. Some people were even getting up and leaving now!

Glenn scribbled madly in her book, trying to figure out the answer for Wenlock's Growth Number.



Hmm. Well that was interesting. Providing she had actually added it right this time.

*Yes I'm still brown nosing. Take advantage of it xD*
 

Alyssa was disappointed that class was over. She always had fun calculating numbers. She packed up her things and walked up to the Professor. "Thank you for another interesting lesson, Professor. I really had fun today. Before I leave do you need help cleaning up today? I'm done with classes for the day." Alyssa smiled at her Head of House offering her help again.

catching up
 

Vickers found that interesting-- using two methods of calculating each half of the name. On the Professor's instruction, he drew out a fresh parchment and started computing the Growth number for Ollivander. After the bullseye discovery he had earlier with the Family name earlier, the Ravenclaw was quite curious what the first name might yield...

Huh, would you look at that, Ollivander's first name ended up as another 4. The Ravenclaw looked up the growth number meaning for it and couldnt help but utter a whisper of surprise. Ollivander's reputation was built around creating exceptional wands, but perhaps his claim to the history books was that many of his creations were used in both the spreading of fear and the struggle for security, not to mention that the man himself was involved towards the end of the second Wizarding war.




And at that it was time to go. Vickers scrambled to collect his books and parchment into his bag and stood to make his way towards the door "Thank you for the wonderful lesson Professor Hadley" the Ravenclaw uttered smiling as he passed her by.

catching up (was at work all day) *pokes Jess*
 

Even though Stella still wasn't quite sure how Perpetua Fancourt's Family Name number actually was relevant to what she knew of her ancestor, she'd noted that Professor Hadley had only nodded at her calculations. At least she could assume that meant they were correct, even if she didn't understand them. And the discussion had moved on to Growth numbers, so she switched to taking down a few notes on that subject, just for reference sake. Perhaps she could discuss her confusion with the professor later, or just accept that somehow it was actually accurate. As far as she knew it wasn't integral that she have an amazing analysis right now anyway.

Plus, they were moving on to actually doing more calculations, so she quickly noted that the first set was the Family Name number, before adding the new ones underneath. It made more sense to keep all her calculations together anyhow.

SPOILER!!: calculations

Family Name number:

FANCOURT
6+1+5+3+6+3+9+2
35
3+5
8

EIGHT (8): You inherit an attitude about money and power that will cause you to seek recognition in business and finance. Your family name brings you the qualities of leadership, organization, a high value placed on success, competency, and doing a job well, as well a possibly inflated ego.

Growth number:

PERPETUA
7+5+9+7+5+2+3+1
39
3+9
12
1+2
3

THREE (3): Your greatest growth will be the way you use your words and creativity.

Hmm, Stella thought, once she'd copied the description down. She could definitely see how creativity could apply, although she had to think it had been more of a trait that had been handed down than anything else. It appeared they weren't going to have to discuss that either, though, as suddenly Professor Hadley had declared the lesson over. That was intriguing as well, but she simply packed her notes away. Questions could wait, or at least that was her original thought. She stood up to leave, but found herself talking before she could stop herself. "Professor Hadley? What if I can't exactly figure out how my person's numbers apply to them? Even if I know quite a bit about their life," she asked, merely curious. Besides, the possibility there was going to be analysis on the homeowrk was high, so asking was better than the alternative.

"Thank you, Professor," Tayla replied. She was ready for the next discussion but was taken by surprise when Professor Hadley dismissed them. "Oh...well, thanks for the class, Professor. Have a good day!"

Tayla put away her things and began to leave, wondering what she could do with the extra free time she had and why their class was so short today.