Vivian wasn't really much of a fan of Ancient Runes, probably because she found it advanced and she wasn't a Ravenclaw like her auntie and mum. Nevertheless, she really wanted to try her best at the class even if it meant a couple of headaches just trying to memorise the Futhark alphabet and learning their meanings. But ya know, there's nothing a Fairfield can't handle unless she tried!

Moving onto the lesson, Vivian blinked when the doors suddenly close when the clock struck 10am. Yep, the headmistress was very on schedule. But what really caught her attention was the number of winged horses in front of them. Kinda reminded her of Magical Creatures class, to be honest. This was interesting, indeed.

With the first question asked, Vivian took a moment to remember what in Merlin's beard was Ehwaz. Yeah sure, it was part of the Futhark but there were a lot of runes, and even her normal alphabet was starting to mix up. When she finally had something in mind that she remembered, the blonde raised her hand to answer. "Ehwaz is kinda like a good luck charm," the fourth year said. "Because, like what Ava said, it's a rune for protection."

Answering that question made her seem smart. LOL. Vivian was content with her answer.

Kimi listened to the first question and as so many students had already given the correct answer he just took notes he would just try to answer the next question

As the Headmistress replied to her greeting, Shay smiled. "I'm just fine thank you. Ready for today's lesson." And curious, very curious she was. Shay didn't have to wait long to hear the topic of the day's lesson. However, she would have to wait and see how the horses fit in.

Ehwaz was the focus of the lesson and the first question dealt with what everyone knew about it. Shay raised her hand to share something she knew about the rune. In the meantime, she took notes because a lot of good information was being given. Hopefully she would be called on soon so her answer would not become repetitious. When it was her turn, she began to speak. "When Ehwaz appears in a group with other runes, it can make those runes more powerful. After she spoke, Shay continued to write notes, as the rest of her classmates spoke.

Ah patience. This Gryffindor could indeed use some of that. And this magnificent Aethonan is a stud and his name is Philippe. He found that funny ok? As shown by the grinning under his nose as the lesson progressed. Also, he didnt know if it was a coincidence or the Professor was lowkey giving a shout out for Disney's best old school animated movie in Sleeping Beauty. If she was, wow color this animation fan impressed.

Now what did he know about Ehwaz? Well that it was easily confused for Eihwaz, but he figured that doesnt really contribute to the discussion. Most of his classmates seem to have mentioned nearly all of what the rune was about, but .... ok wait, some stuff is lacking, maybe he can offer a way to tie these different concepts together? Up goes the hand "Professor, Ehwaz isnt just a symbol for a horse, but rather two horses, thats where the other meaning of Ehwaz-- of trust and teamwork-- arise, because two horses used together for travel needs to be in sync with each other, working as a unified team."

Text Cut: Individual Responses

Text Cut: Miss Sparkes

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Originally Posted by NifflerFan (Post 12221719) Emmeline returned her friends' greetings as they arrived; her eyes were still glued to the winged horses and she was bouncing up and down on her feet. The headmistress' reprimand, however, made the first year freeze in place. Her face burned with shame, which increased exponentially as the poor horse actually stepped back. She had scared him! She loved creatures more than anything else in the whole world -- except her family and friends, they were equal with creatures -- and she had scared this one. What a complete failure she was at this lesson, and they hadn't even gotten to the runes! She barely heard what her classmates were saying around her for a few minutes as her eyes filled with tears. She had never ever scared or hurt a creature before, and she knew better than to run around horses. Emmeline continued staring at the ground in front of her as she listened to what the headmistress was saying. She was glad Philippe was alright, but she couldn't shake the sense of shame that she had scared him in the first place. When the headmistress asked her first question, however, Emmeline quickly rubbed her sleeve across her eyes to dash away the tears there and raised her hand. She knew this answer and she didn't want to get in any more trouble today: "Ehwaz means 'partnership' in English, ma'am."As soon as the words were out of her mouth, the first year went back to staring at the ground in dejection.

Just when she thought things were off to a good start, there were already tears. Regina noticed the stark change in the girl’s behaviour. Moments ago she had been, quite literally, bouncing up and down. Now she was staring at the ground, which was probably the least interesting thing right now. She hoped the tears that were being shed weren't because of telling the girl to watch were she was going and slow down. In no way was it her intent for tears to fall. Her tone hadn't been harsh at all. First years sometimes could be so ... sensitive. She had almost forgotten.

It was at this point the woman left the side of her trusty steed and started walking amongst the students. The glow of her necklace began to dim with each step. "Almost, Miss Sparkes. The literal translation of the rune means something different. However, you are onto something by mentioning that a partnership of some sort is connected to the rune," the headmistress said, gently placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She then, before moving on, quickly whispered, "Chin up, my dear. We have horses to interact with soon."

Text Cut: Miss Burton

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Originally Posted by RandomRaven (Post 12221721) They're going to head to the pasture soon. "Okay, Headmistress." So she put her winter gears on back before the woman started the lesson. Merlin, please don't tell that they were about to fly with the winged horse on a weather like this. Once Headmistress Hawthorne started the lesson, the Gryffindor listened to her explanation about why she chose to not have a lesson in their usual classroom and do it at the barn instead. Yeah, she did get the stud joke, but not sure if it was funny enough to crack her up. But the aethonan had a similar name as her boyfriend, hehe. That was quite funny. Horse... Runes... Ehwaz... Oh! She raised her hand and answer the headmistress' question "Ehwaz literally means horse. And it's a very powerful rune of protection."

Leaving the first year's side, the American continued walking through the crowd of students, waiting for more students to share what they knew about the rune. The next to pipe up was Ava. When she spoke, the woman stopped her walking and gave the sixth year her full attention.

"Quite correct, Miss Burton," she confirmed with a nod of her head. "Ehwaz literally means horse. And you are correct in saying that it is a rune that brings protection." Could she, or anyone else for that matter, figure out how the rune could be used in that regard? It wasn't quite like Algiz, which was the rune most went to in need of protection.

Text Cut: Miss Wright

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Originally Posted by griffin (Post 12221722) A direct question from the headmistress! What had she been waving at? The headmistress surely couldn't be referring to when Isa had waved to her friends Derf, Stasya, Emmeline, and Jessa, so Headmistress Hawthorne must have noticed when Isa waved to her rabbits. "I have rabbits here that Professor Wayland has approved for me to keep in the barn." You know, just to be clear that the rabbits were hers and she was allowed to have them here. Hopefully that would be enough to satisfy the headmistress' curiosity for now. If the headmistress wanted to know more about the rabbits she could always ask later. Oh, they were starting know! Isa laughed at Headmistress Hawthorne's joke about the horse being a stud. He was a male horse, and males used for breeding were called studs. Funny pun there. Ehwaz. Uh, what did Isa know about Ehwaz? "Ehwaz represents change and forward movement." See, she knew things about runes. Sometimes Isa got the names of the runes confused, but she was confident that she knew what Ehwaz was. You know what else was interesting about Ehwaz? It meant horse, and here they were having the lesson outside with the horses. So maybe they would be riding horses and using Ehwaz to make them go forward? Or maybe something else related to Ehwaz and horses? There were a lot of possible connections here with Ehwaz and horses, especially with Ehwaz literally meaning horse. Of course there were other things that they could use Ehwaz for like bringing change, but Isa wasn't quite sure how that related to the horses. Ehwaz could also be used for transportation, so perhaps the horses would have something to do with transportation as one of the magical uses for Ehwaz. Horses could be transportation when you were riding them, and Ehwaz meant horse. At the time that the Norse myths originated, horses were probably the only mode of transportation other than walking. Isa could see why this rune might have gotten this particular meaning. She actually loved studying runes. Herbology was still her favorite, but Runes was up there at the top of her list of favorite subjects.

Speaking of travelling, Isabel (who had laughed at her stud joke!) had pinned the tail on the horse. The woman shot a smile at the girl as she nodded her head. The Hufflepuff was very much correct. "Right you are, Miss Wright. The most usual interpretation of Ehwaz leads most to thinking about travel, or, as you put it, change and forward movement. There are other things that it represents too." Did anyone else have anything to add?

Regina could almost see the gears working in the third year's mind. Though the girl didn't say anything more, the headmistress hoped that the connection between the rune and the horses many were still gawking at was becoming clear.

Text Cut: Miss Dalgaard-Volkova

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Originally Posted by SilverTiger (Post 12221737) As the greetings were returned, Stasya had continued to watch the Aethonan near the headmistress as well as the winged horses that were gathered out in the pasture behind them. At least, she had until she heard her own name, and she’d turned back to the headmistress with a beaming smile as she had been asked about her squirrel’s wellbeing. “Dobby’s doing really well. He’s made friends with lots of the other creatures out here,” she responded, possibly moving a bit closer to Emmeline as she could tell the reprimand hadn’t been taken very well. It was a weird sensation, being pleased that the headmistress at least seemed curious about how her squirrel was doing but also kind of disappointed that she had upset her friend. Going back to looking at the horses, now that the Aethonan with the headmistress had been identified, she realized that she recognized several of the others too. Yay for her frequent visits out here. Maybe it would help her with whatever they were going to be doing in the lesson if the horses already knew her. Even if Professor Wayland hadn’t felt like giving her a Granian foal to care for. Either way, she raised her hand a bit tentatively as Emmeline and others had spoken about Ehwaz. “It looks kind of like the letter M when it is written out.” It wasn’t the best answer to give, but she knew it was true anyway. Especially when lots of the other runes didn’t look like letters at all. It made Ehwaz easier to remember.

The woman continued to walk between the students, though she soon came to a stop the moment Stasya spoke up. Her head turned toward the girl, seeing that she was standing near Emmeline. Another nod of her head was given at her answer. Though simple, it rang true. "Nicely observed, Miss Dalgaard-Volkova. It certainly does look like the letter M, doesn't it?” She hoped that those who didn't know or remember that would be able to remember that little detail.

The headmistress had a little memory trick of her own to share, mainly for the first years but anyone was welcome to it. "For those of you who think more abstractly, here is another way you can remember what Ehwaz looks like: if you look right at Philippe's head, you'll see that he was a rather square face with two pointy ears. Ehwaz looks similar to the upper section of his head. I guarantee that you won't forget how to write out Ehwaz so long as you remember that and the fact about Ehwaz correlating to horses."

The more you know.

Text Cut: Mister Kenning

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Originally Posted by Oesed (Post 12221738) If there was anything that could be considered a row in a place that was most certainly not a classroom, that's where the sixth year had been standing there whole time. A well cast insulation charm and layers upon layers of clothing kept the cold from being a big distraction, something he could not afford in a subject as complex as Ancient Runes. It required his undivided attention, so remaining in the back and away from friends struck him as a good plan. Although, there was something to be said about the hours spent studying to keep up his marks or training for the IMPS and how they were beginning to take its toll; after all, it was difficult to be particularly concentrated when all he could think of was the warmth and comfort of his four poster bed back in the dormitory. Fortunately, it was December. And with December came the holidays, and never had Levi Kenning been as excited and ready to go home for those two weeks as he was now. With some interest, he allowed his eyes to wander and focus on the winged horses, wondering if his decision three years ago to not take Care of Magical Creatures would finally present itself as a problem. Surely they wouldn't have to fly on those aethonans? It was the dead of winter. Insulating charms would probably not keep his curly hair from freezing. But headmistress Hawthorne was apparently in the mood for jokes, and the boy resisted the urge to raise his eyebrows and laugh, unsure if it would've been at the joke or at her. In the end, he merely rubbed his face. At least now the location and the present four legged company made sense. He raised his hand before speaking up, "To elaborate a little on what Ava said, Headmistress, Ehwaz could also symbolize status. In ancient times, not everyone could own a fine horse--to possess horses singled you out, gave you some sort of--leverage over the rest." He paused for a moment, "or rank, if you will."

Weaving her way between her pupils made her notice some of the ones that had arrived but had done so quietly. Levi Kenning was one of those students, and the woman gave the IMPS competitor a smile the moment she saw him. She wondering if her joke (albeit it wasn't her best, she would admit that) at least amused him to some degree. Life, in the grand scheme of things, was short, after all.

And then his hand shot up. Her steps paused as he explained how Ehwaz could also symbolize status. It definitely was a more anthropological take on the rune, which did have validity to it. "Thank you for sharing that with us, Mister Kenning. You are quite right in saying that. Horses were very important to those living in ancient times. Owning one horse boosted you up in rank, whereas owning a team of horses was a sign of being of the higher aristocracy."

Text Cut: Miss Fairfield

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Originally Posted by Kimothy (Post 12221744) Vivian wasn't really much of a fan of Ancient Runes, probably because she found it advanced and she wasn't a Ravenclaw like her auntie and mum. Nevertheless, she really wanted to try her best at the class even if it meant a couple of headaches just trying to memorise the Futhark alphabet and learning their meanings. But ya know, there's nothing a Fairfield can't handle unless she tried! Moving onto the lesson, Vivian blinked when the doors suddenly close when the clock struck 10am. Yep, the headmistress was very on schedule. But what really caught her attention was the number of winged horses in front of them. Kinda reminded her of Magical Creatures class, to be honest. This was interesting, indeed. With the first question asked, Vivian took a moment to remember what in Merlin's beard was Ehwaz. Yeah sure, it was part of the Futhark but there were a lot of runes, and even her normal alphabet was starting to mix up. When she finally had something in mind that she remembered, the blonde raised her hand to answer. "Ehwaz is kinda like a good luck charm," the fourth year said. "Because, like what Ava said, it's a rune for protection." Answering that question made her seem smart. LOL. Vivian was content with her answer.

Continuing her casual walk, now making her way from the back and up along the side, the headmistress waited for someone else to speak up. She hoped no one was confusing Ehwaz with Eihwaz, especially at this point in the term after spending a number of lessons focusing on just the runic alphabet. So far, though, it seemed like they all were making the distinction.

Vivian was the next student to sneak up. Regina nodded, pondering her answer, as she walked past her and Ava. "You are correct in saying that, Miss Fairfield." Though could she explain what made Ehwaz like a good luck charm? What did it protect or, rather, give luck to?

Text Cut: Mister Kovalainen

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Originally Posted by Saz Hale (Post 12221749) Kimi listened to the first question and as so many students had already given the correct answer he just took notes he would just try to answer the next question

By the time she was making her way past Kimi, the headmistress was reminded of just how warm in the barn it was. Thankfully she wasn’t too far from the door, which was now her destination point before she roasted like a marshmallow. Though she did hesitate, wondering if the Hufflepuff boy would provide an answer. No words were said though, only note-taking. At least she knew that he was paying attention. Moving on...

Text Cut: Miss Diggory

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Originally Posted by PhoenixRising (Post 12221846) Shortly after her entry, Skylar turned to find Ava and Felicity were at her side. Felicity, she could get, as she spent waking time and sleeping time with the girl, as they shared a dorm and all. But Ava, was different, because the girl usually was with her boyfriend or Noelle in classes. Unless she wanted something, although Skylar couldn't imagine what exactly she could tell the older girl that Noelle or Philip couldn't. Nonetheless they both got a polite smile, and her attention was back on the winged horses and the class that was beginning. Quite a stud? Was she making a joke? The Headmistress' humor was definitely dry and the fourth year wasn't finding it amusing. Focus, Skylar, this subject needs your undivided attention. No thinking about studs. What did they remember about the rune Ehwaz? Or did she say Eihwaz? The American accent that the woman had, Skylar couldn't be sure, but she had her classmates talk answers of horse and protection and good-luck. Eihwaz wasn't any of that. I in Eihwaz for initiation. Which meant the Headmistress had to have said Ehwaz, right? Protection or was it progression? Ah right, Isa had said that already with the rune symbolizing forward change and movement. "Ehwaz can also symbolize communication over long distances and can refer to an important message that one can give or receive," Skylar finally settled on, thinking about what some of her peers said.

Returning to her original spot right next to the door, standing in between the cold and warmth, Regina's blue eyes glanced at each student, especially those that had not spoken up yet. Could they think of anything else? They had just scratched the surface, really. Ehwaz covered a lot of ground, unlike Philippe who had only moved a yard or so back into the pasture since the woman's necklace had lost its glow.

Her eyes then laid upon Skylar Diggory the moment she decided to speak up. While she didn't care for the joke, she at least was able to contribute more about what Ehwaz symbolized. "Thank you, Miss Diggory, for that nugget of information," she stated, approving of her answer though not quite sold just yet concerning matters involving Brent. "Ehwaz certainly does aide communication from one person to another, especially if they are far apart from each other. It is that communication that can bring something into motion."

In a roundabout way, it reminded her of the early 1860s and the Pony Express, though the woman decided not to share that insight as she was fairly certain these Brits weren't that in-the-know about American history.

Text Cut: Miss Kramer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lady of Light (Post 12221849) Etta listened to the Headmistress individually greet them all, still in awe of her. She was.. everything that she aspired to be. Polite, beautiful and smart. .. and poised. So poised. Maybe she be half of her one day, maybe. Hopefully. Anyway, soon enough, she started with with her first question. Ehwaz.. they had learnt about that rune in class before, hadn't they? She raised a hand politely. "Professor.. ehwaz literally means horse but it basically denotes trust and friendship between individuals.. their relationship would help them explore new places and travel to faraway lands.. I think." She frowned, trying to come up with additional information. She was sure ehwaz had a connection with horses.. but she wasn't sure what it was exactly so she just remained quiet and waited for the class to move on.

The Hufflepuff prefect followed the Slytherin, and it was what the girl said that made her eyes twinkle just a bit. Of course, they had already established that Ehwaz literally meant horse, but it was the words that come after the fact that made her nod her head. Did everyone catch that?

"Right you are. Thank you, Miss Kramer," the woman said, quite pleased. "Ehwaz certainly does help in exploration considering the transportation and motion aspect of it. And mentioning trust and friendship is very important, for without it there really is no forward energy and movement, is there? It is true for human to human bonds as well as human bonds with animals."

She turned her head slightly to look at Philippe and the other winged horses. If that wasn’t foreshadowing enough, then she didn't know what was.

Text Cut: Miss Morrison

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Originally Posted by Daydreamer11 (Post 12221856) As the Headmistress replied to her greeting, Shay smiled. "I'm just fine thank you. Ready for today's lesson." And curious, very curious she was. Shay didn't have to wait long to hear the topic of the day's lesson. However, she would have to wait and see how the horses fit in. Ehwaz was the focus of the lesson and the first question dealt with what everyone knew about it. Shay raised her hand to share something she knew about the rune. In the meantime, she took notes because a lot of good information was being given. Hopefully she would be called on soon so her answer would not become repetitious. When it was her turn, she began to speak. "When Ehwaz appears in a group with other runes, it can make those runes more powerful. After she spoke, Shay continued to write notes, as the rest of her classmates spoke.

Her gaze then shifted from Philipe and his four-legged companions over to Shayla. She didn’t say much, but there was so much truth in her words. The headmistress nodded her head once more. Though they hadn't spent a whole lot of time on bind runes yet this term, this was a good opportunity to mention them.

"Miss Morrison's response is quite accurate. When paired with other runes, forming bind runes, the power of Ehwaz joins with that of the other rune or runes, thus making a more powerful rune. For example, when Ehwaz is paired with Raidho, it invokes good travelling conditions. It is quite handy when you’re following a 'new path' or going through new experiences." She certainly used the bind rune when she came to Britain from the United States.

Text Cut: Mister Ashburry-Hawthorne

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Originally Posted by sweetpinkpixie (Post 12221863) Perfect disguise if you were anyone but Derfael Mitchell Ashburry-Hawthorne that is because THIS Hufflepuff saw right through your disguise. "We didn't have to us-2e the Extendable Ears today!" he squeaked giddily while glancing over his shoulder at Abey. NEAT! Okay...but wait...waaaaaaaaait....SPOIL? BUT WHICH PART WAS THE SPOILING PART?! He had, you know, kind-of-sort-of rambled off a while bunch of options there based on his rememberings of the Ehwaz rune so so soooooooo WHICH WAS IT PROFESSOR?! WAS IT THE TALKING TO WINGED HORSES?! But before he could ask his follow up questions they were being ushered and encouraged and whatnot to listen as class properly began. But he was TOTALLY staring at her chest. Okay? TOTALLY. STARING. AT. HER. CHEST. But not her CHEST chest but that THING around her chest. Why was no one asking about it!? Could he? Could he pet Phillipe? Oh, well...okay then. Now he kiiiiiiiiiiind of got what the spoiler alert was about, but it still did not satisfy his curiosity about whatever it was hanging around her neck. And he had already basically answered this question UNKNOWINGLY as he entered the area, so it was okay that he didn't repeat himself, right? Hopefully...because his curiosity was eating away at him and he ended up asking a question when it was his turn to speak. "You have it carved into whatever it is hanging around your neck!?" he chirped eagerly...as naturally another thought crossed his mind and it was slipping out of his mouth before he could processor stop himself. "And works-s s-sorta like a Befriending Charm when envoked!? S-S-Since that rune rules-s-s....governs-s-s...trus-st and bonds-s with animals-s?!?!?!" OOOOOOOOOOOOH he got the spoiler alert now OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! THEYWEREGONNABEWINGEDHORSEWHISPERS! HOLYFLAMINGSALAMANDERS!

Derfael then caught her attention. Needless to say, she was a little surprised that he was speaking up after proving well before she had asked the first question of the lesson that he knew a few things about Ehwaz. A grin, however, grew on the headmistress's face when he mentioned the necklace she was wearing around her neck. This one was a fast learner.

"I certainly do have it carved onto the necklace that I am wearing today. But more on that a moment." Patience, Mister Ashburry-Hawthorne. Patience. They would all be horse-whisperers soon enough.

Text Cut: Mister Salander

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Originally Posted by Steelsheen (Post 12221925) Ah patience. This Gryffindor could indeed use some of that. And this magnificent Aethonan is a stud and his name is Philippe. He found that funny ok? As shown by the grinning under his nose as the lesson progressed. Also, he didnt know if it was a coincidence or the Professor was lowkey giving a shout out for Disney's best old school animated movie in Sleeping Beauty. If she was, wow color this animation fan impressed. Now what did he know about Ehwaz? Well that it was easily confused for Eihwaz, but he figured that doesnt really contribute to the discussion. Most of his classmates seem to have mentioned nearly all of what the rune was about, but .... ok wait, some stuff is lacking, maybe he can offer a way to tie these different concepts together? Up goes the hand "Professor, Ehwaz isnt just a symbol for a horse, but rather two horses, thats where the other meaning of Ehwaz-- of trust and teamwork-- arise, because two horses used together for travel needs to be in sync with each other, working as a unified team."

It was always Tenacius that Regina could rely on as a source of appreciation for her sense of humour. The grin on planted on the boy’s face proved as much. The stud joke was corny and maybe even eye-roll worthy to some, but it was a joke nonetheless. The Gryffindor prefect at least was on her level. (As for the movie reference, it was a subtle nod to Beauty and the Beast.)

She took note of his hand in the air and waited for him to respond before adding her own thoughts. "Literally, Ehwaz means horse. Though it definitely can refer to two horses. The example you provided -- two horses working together as a unified force, in sync and trusting each other to get to their destination -- does fit well with what Ehwaz invokes."

In all honestly, the message behind this rune was rather beautiful. Trust, teamwork, friendship -- it all made things move in a balanced forward motion.

Text Cut: Mister Bronwyn

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Originally Posted by Shanners (Post 12221936) With a quirk of his brow, Rooney looked between the winged horse and Headmistress Hawthorne especially when she said 'stud'. And to add his own part onto that, he said to no one in particular "Tell me about it." Whether people would understand the link to Grease with that quote, he didn't know, but it was normal for the boy to quote things that he enjoyed if the entrance into it was there. And it had been. It had practically been ASKED for by the use of the word stud. Honest. "Ehwaz doesn't just mean one horse, right Headmistress? It means two. Hence the derivation of it meaning teamwork, trust and friendship. Plus travel and movement."

Speaking of trust and there needing to be more if it from someone...

"Yes, Mister Bronwyn. It can mean two horses. Mister Salander just described how two horses can work together to encompass the other meanings of Ehwaz beyond just its literal 'horse' translation," Regina replied, not disagreeing with what he said. "Yet it can also mean one horse as well. They can be haired with an individual. After all, every horse has a rider. In order for the animal and individual to develop a mutual relationship with each other, there needs to be loyalty, trust, and co-operation to get a certain job done or get from Point A to Point B." She was going to leave it at that. They would be experiencing what she was talking about soon enough.

Text Cut: Miss Cambridge

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Originally Posted by DaniDiNardo (Post 12221956) So then.....they were definitely riding these horses before the end of the class. There was no convincing her otherwise, not when the Headmistress had given THAT particular reply. Everyone knew that when adults gave responses like that they were just trying to be sneaky but were definitely confirming what you'd as-- Whoa! Jessa staggered forward as someone--oh, Emmeline--bumped right into her. "It's alright." She assured, offering her and her other friends a greeting as they trickled into the barn one by one. The others were excited, she could tell but the girl was most interested in the winged horses and when they'd be able to ride them. As best as she could, she was paying attention. Her classmates were offering up responses and she was doing her best to keep them in mind. Slowly an image was forming in her head of exactly why they may be looking at the room today. It certainly made sense. "Not only is it associated with communication and horses but it's got a divinatory connection to recklessness." Which also sorta made sense to her too. Sometimes watching them fly, you'd think they were being reckless, rising and diving as they pleased but the young girl was sure there was always a method to their madness.

Moving on to Jessa, the headmistress was quite glad that the Ravenclaw had pointed out something negative about Ehwaz that was known to all knowledgeable runologists. There was that divinatory meaning that was pretty negative: recklessness. There was a logical reason why that was so, however.

"Yes, Miss Cambridge, very true. While in terms of divination the rune stands for transportation, energy, power, and communication, there is also that meaning of recklessness." It was something some of them knew all too well. "But, when you think about the inverted meaning of Ehwaz, it does make sense why that is so -- blocked movement, an inability to act, a failure to communicate or act as one. Those often do lead to irresponsible or miscommunicated outcomes. Hence why it is important to maintain balance our energies and motions."

Text Cut: Miss Flightdatter

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Originally Posted by DancingQueen (Post 12221966) Sophie's eyes widened as the headmistress kindly offered to let her stay next to her. Vigorously nodding, she took a deep breath and sniffled softly. Though she didn't want to annoy the nice woman too much, she was certainly planning on sticking to the headmistress like glue. A massive sneeze exploded from her nose, causing her to shake her head in annoyance. As she did so, the wonderful headmistress gave her a small vial. Gasping, Sophie read the label. "Pepper-up potion?! Aww, this stuff is the best!" She fumbled with the stopper for a few seconds before finally getting it open. "Bottoms up!" She upended the potion into her mouth, waiting patiently for it to work its magic on her obnoxious cold. Luckily, it took effect almost immediately and she found that she could breathe out of her nose again. It was a good thing Sophie could breathe again, because a boy who couldn't have been thaaaat much older than her wandered over to offer his assistance with her phobia and introduced himself as Derf. Sophie offered him a teensy-weensy smile. "Hi, Derf," she said shyly. She didn't get any farther than that in her reply to him, however, because at that moment, steam began to pour out of her ears. Awkwardly, Sophie took a step backward. This was the side effect she had forgotten! Steam, lots of steam, rapidly exiting her ears. She grimaced, slightly embarrassed by the spectacle. So embarrassed, in fact, that she almost missed the headmistress' first question. She was ready to be made more embarrassed, though, because she couldn't recall anything about the Ehwaz rune. "Uh..." she began slowly. "Isn't Ehwaz the one that means -" Uncertain of what exactly it meant, she tried to quickly make up something that would make sense. "Chocolate?" As soon as she had said it, she knew it was probably wrong. Oooooooooppss....

Ahh. The headmistress had temporarily forgotten that she had a little minion by her side. Had Sophie been following her around the barn in sync with her or had she stayed put until she returned? Maybe she had gone to stand next to Derfael? It didn't matter to her either way. What did matter was that the girl was looking better than she did the moment she had arrived. Save for the steam.

Clearly the side-effect had unwarranted results for the girl's response to her question made the headmistress blink. She couldn't even think of a response for such an answer. It clearly wasn't right.

Regina just offered the girl a smile and continued on.

Text Cut: Miss Phillips

Quote:

Originally Posted by Govoni (Post 12222002) Grinning brightly at the Headmistress' kind greeting, the Lion!lady went ahead and animated her Quick Quotes, just as she'd been taught. And never fear! She was definitely getting smart to the embellishments. Sometimes, the blonde felt those were the best parts; a bit of entertainment for herself as she worked through her notes. And luckily, she had Blaise Bellaire, who'd originally gifted her the quill. He was the master at decoding all the crazy exaggerations. He was a Quick Quotes Whisperer. She really appreciated her friends, and how much they were helping her on the exam front. Let's be honest, Chloe Newman's study notes were the stuff of legend. ....And Liv understood the implication was kinda obvious here, considering their location and the winged horses, but... How had no one said anything about the Aetts or Tyr? Sure, it probably wouldn't be relevant, but... they were still facts about the Ehwaz rune. It just made her twitchy; giving an answer everyone else had. "Ehwaz is located in the Third Aett, which is named for the Norse god Tyr. He's often thought of with concepts such as glory, honor, and heroics." Refusing to be embarrassed, even as her cheeks heated on their own volition, she added, "It's corresponding letter is 'E'." Yep, it had no relevance to horses, but different could be good, right?

The last to speak was Olivia Phillips, who had quite a different answer that the others. It was one that many overlooked because it wasn't the general ballpark everyone else had gravitated toward. Everyone else focused on the meanings, the symbolism, and focused primarily on horses. In all honesty, Regina didn't blame them. And she didn't blame the Gryffindor for her answer either. It was a good reminder for them all.

"Thank you, Miss Phillips," the headmistress replied sincerely, "for reminding us about the Third Aett, Tyr, and the corresponding letter of Ehwaz."

Normally the woman would have had a piece of chalk talking notes for her on the black board, but unfortunately there wasn't one nailed to any of the walls here in the creature barn. That said, she hoped that everyone was taking good notes or they were, at the very least, paying attention to their peers' answers and her responses. All of it was valuable information to keep at the forefront of their minds.

Clasping her hands together after a period of silence that signified that no one had anything else to say, Regina was ready to move things along.

"Thank you all for your responses. And I am quite impressed that no one accidentally confused Ehwaz with Eihwaz. Two very different runes. The latter of which means yew, invokes initiation or change, and can be used for defensive purposes," she informed, hoping to clarify the differences just in case. "Ehwaz, though, is the rune of the horse -- a direct connection to Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir. It is a rune that, at its core, facilitates swiftness in travel and movement in addition to forming cohesive bonds resulting from trust and co-operation."

It was at that moment that the headmistress brought a hand to the necklace hanging around her heck and held it outward with her fingertips. "As you all know, runic energies need to be released in a controlled manner through amulets, pendants, talismans, gandrs, and rune sets. Today, for each of you, I have a wooden pendant similar to mine to wear throughout the rest of the lesson and keep afterward."

Her fingers then released the necklace, allowing to to fall against her chest, and retracted her wand from her holster. With a flick, a box that had been set aside floated in the air and gradually made its way around the area they were corralled in. She hoped they were paying attention because she was on the cusp of giving instructions."

"You will notice that the wood on these pendants have nothing carved on them. Before we interact with the horses, you first need to carve Ehwaz onto them and then activate it with a galdr. To carve a rune, remember that you need to clearly think of how the rune looks in your mind and then state the incantation. You will need to repeat the incantation, Intaglio Ehwaz, until the rune is completely carved, signified by a golden hue.

"To activate Ehwaz, you will need to chant the following galdr. You will know it's been activated when it starts to glow white." At this point, she put her wand away, placed her fingers back on her pendant, and then chanted, "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." Being experienced, the pendant quickly began emitting a white glow ... and Philippe took a few steps forward until his head was inside the barn.

"Don't be disheartened if it doesn't start glowing right away. You might have to repeat the galdr a few times. Once everyone's pendant is glowing, then we will all head outside and put Ehwaz to the test. If you need any help, please ask."

OOC: It is time for the mini-activity of our lesson! As Regina said, everyone needs to take a pendant, carve the Ehwaz rune onto it, and then chant the galdr to make the rune glow white.

You are welcome to make as many posts as you would like at this stage in the lesson. Furthermore, keep in mind that not every student will be able to complete these steps in one go successfully. Feel free to have your characters struggle, ask for help, offer to help others, etc. The lesson will continue in roughly 24-36 hours.

At least, she was right! Vivian was pretty pleased with herself for actually not getting it wrong. LOL.

And ooooooh, they were getting pendants! Not as if this was her first one ever, but the Slytherin loved receiving pretty things for free. Thanks, Miss Headmistress! The moment the levitating box came to her part of the classroom, she had readied her hand to catch her pendant because why not? After catching her pendant, the blonde examined it. It was made of wood, obviously, and looked just like the one hanging around the Headmistress' neck, but lacked the rune on it. So, naturally, they were supposed to carve the Ehwaz rune on it.

But first, practice. Practice makes perfect, the quote would say. Vivian didn't even expect to get it right the first time around, anyway. "Intaglio. Intaglio. In-tah-leo," she pronounced each syllable as clearly as she could. After saying the incantation a couple of times, the fourth year mustered the confidence to finally try carving it onto her pendant. She pointed her wand at the middle of her pendant, and took a deep breath. You can do this, Baby Fairfield! "Intaglio Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz..." She kept her mind focused onto the rune itself, the horses, protection, good luck, everything related to Ehwaz. "Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz Ehwaz...."

And at last, her nearly perfect Ehwaz rune was carved onto her wooden pendant. The Slytherin beamed at her work and then placed it around her neck. Aaahhh, lovely!

Her eyes were focused on the thestrals for a while before the lesson started but as soon as the lesson started, she adjusted her focus to the Headmistress. She opted to remain silent during the first question and decided to listen to her fellow peers as they spoke. Olivia just felt completely off today. Her thoughts were in a different place and it took a lot out of her to focus.

They were learning about Ehwaz not Eihwaz. Merlin. Now that was going to be hard to keep straight. Ehwaz. The rune of the horse. Fascinating. The first step of this activity was to carve the rune into the pendant. She took a pendant and placed it beside her. Before attempting to carve it, Olivia opted to draw the rune in her notebook over and over again so that she really knew what she was doing. At first, the runes came out rather crooked. Why couldn't she draw simple straight lines today? Gah. She bit her lip and began drawing in her notebook again. No. No. NO. Ugh. Why couldn't she focus? This wasn't like her. What were the...? No. Focus. She could wonder later.

She took a deep breath as she tried to calm her frustration. Then she began drawing. Good. The lines were getting straighter. Olivia needed to visualize it. Once satisfied with the drawing of the rune, she turned her attention to the wooden pendant. Maybe she would hold of carving it at the moment. She needed to work on the pronunciation. "Intaglio Ehwaz. Intaglio Ehwaz," she repeated, making sure to say Ehwaz instead of Ehiwaz.

Alright. It was time to carve the rune into the pendant. Steadying her arm, she pointed her wand at the middle of the rune and took a deep breath. She needed to block everything out of her mind except for the rune. Nothing else mattered. Nothing. Ehwaz. Protection. Partnership. Protection. Ehwaz. She briefly cast her eyes down to the shape that she had drawn and then focused on the pendant. "Intaglio Ehwaz. Intaglio Ehwaz. Intaglio Ehwaz. Intaglio Ehwaz. Intaglio Ehwaz," she repeated quietly as she watched the rune slowly etch itself into the wood. Once it was done, she removed her wand.

Not too bad. The rune could have been a little less slanted and more centered on the pendant. It was a little too much to the right for her liking. Still a slight golden hue was produced from the rune which brought a small smile to her face.

Today was going to be a long day.

Playing catchup
 

Noelle had been in the corner of the class the whole time... well corner of the group rather. Runes wasn't one of her best subjects. In fact, it was the only subject she'd done poorly on in OWLs. She wanted and needed to take it again however, because runes were important. Char proved that last term when she used them to defeat the monster. Not to mention, it was always impressive when runes were used. Like Brent and Levi in the competition.

Taking notes, and noting the horses. Noelle scribbled about Ehwaz. In face, Noelle had opened her mouth to give the definition of Ehiwaz... which would have been a mistake, as the professor was saying she was impressed that someone didn't confuse the two. Good thing Noelle hadn't actually gotten the words out.

Now was the fun part. Noelle watched as the Headmistress showed her... amulet. Then she chanted and the horse moved. Merlin... how amazing was that? To get the horse to trust you and cooperate with you using a rune. A bond created from a rune.

Putting her notes aside, Noelle went and grabbed a necklace. She took another look at the Headmistress' necklace before going back to her little spot. She was glad for her warmth charm. It was keeping her mind from the cold and on the task at hand. She used her wand to carefully carve the Ehwaz symbol into the wood. It was a bit hard. She kept glancing up to make sure she had the rune pictured in her head correctly. But once she had the rune pictured correctly, she pointed her wand at the wooden pendent and said, "Intaglio Ehwaz" Only she said it a few times for the rune to actually be carved in.

Once that was done, Noelle took a look around the classroom to make sure it was right. It wasn't centered perfectly... but it did have the golden hue.

Taking a deep breath, she readied herself to chant. She took the necklace in her hand and closed her eyes. "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." She started chanting.

...... Nothing happened.

Okay, she had said this would happen. Noelle closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. Thinking about horses, bonding, protection, she tried again.
"Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." She got some sort of a flicker but not what she needed.

And again.

"Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." Only this time, Noelle said it louder with more feeling and determination to make it work. A white light glowed but it quickly went away. She was getting closer!!

A few more chants (at least 5 more tries) were yelled/said/felt until a glowing was coming from her pendent. Despite the cold, Noelle had a little bit of a sweaty brow from the concentration it took to do that. But.. she'd done it.

Mini-Activity (post 2)
 

Now Olivia would have to try to activate the galdr right? Okay, here goes nothing. She decided to recap her notes before moving on to attempt it. The galdr will glow white when it is activated. Okay. She could do this. What did she have to say? Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o.

With the pendant in her hands, she calmed her mind. Focus on the pendant. Protection. Horses. Friendship. Bonding. Horses. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to stay in an active, focused mindset before opening them and chanting,"Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." Nope. Nothing had happened. Hmm....

She'd try it again. She closed her eyes, gripped the pendant closer to her, and began, "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." Olivia opened her right eye to check on the progress. Still no white glow. Nothing. Nada. Goose eggs. She groaned. Again. "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o." Nothing once more. Another groan. This chant was so weird. Enough. Focus. Feel the words. Protection. Bonding. Horses. Friendship. "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o". A tiny sliver of a white glow appeared. Not good enough.

She took a deep breath, gripping the pendant a little tighter, before loosening her grip and letting all the tension leave her body. She was ready. Olivia was determined. This had to be it. Calm. Deep breath.... "Ehwo ehwo ehwo, e e e e h w o o o, ehwu ehwa ehwi ehwe ehwo, ehwo ehwe ehwi ehwa ehwu, e e e e h w o o o," she said softly but in a commanding voice. She watched as the rune began to glow a white colour just as the Headmistress' had.

Not too shabby.