If Professor Beryl performed a medical examination on Cordelia, she would find that nothing was physically wrong. Well, nothing more wrong than the usual broken pancreas which was kind of a biggie when it came to health issues actually. Correction, the healer would find than nothing was significantly different physically from Cordelia’s usual baseline. It was not her medical issues that were the problem here. The professors expected everyone to cope, to move on. How could she? After two of her classmates had almost certainly died, the mist breaking through the castle defences and nearly killing the rest of them, and the sudden evacuation to Hogsmeade she couldn’t just carry on with life as usual. The immature behavior was her poorly formed coping mechanism. Cordelia would never want to leave Hogwarts, where all her friends were, where she was learning magic, where she could play quidditch. However, this wasn’t Hogwarts. Hogwarts was a safe space. This was more of a refugee camp if anything. Cordelia would be happy to return to Hogwarts when the castle was no longer filled with deadly mist. She was unwilling to carry on in Hogsmeade as if everything was all fine and dandy. It wasn’t. At the healer’s question regarding why she wasn’t paying attention, tears welled up in the corner of Cordelia’s eyes. ”I want to go home,” she whispered softly. She couldn’t even begin to put into words all the feelings and thoughts and general lack of good coping strategies that were preventing her from performing well academically right now. Not in class in front of everyone else, anyway. Cordelia blinked back the tears, trying to hold them back, trying not to show the world that she was crying. Cordelia Winklebleck, Gryffindor seeker extraordinaire, did not cry in front of others. She was going to try her hardest not to show her weaknesses and insecurities in such a public setting.

Cordelia needed time to process what had happened and some guidance towards more constructive coping methods before she would be able to properly adjust. Mostly she just wanted to be back in the castle or back home, somewhere that was familiar and safe. It wasn’t impossible for her to acclimate to their new situation, she would just need a little more support to get there. Whatever happened she wanted to be able to come back to Hogwarts in September, as long as they had a mist-free castle to come back to. Cordelia dumped her runes out onto the table on one of the dollies. She still had no intention of putting serious effort into her studies for the remainder of their stay in Hogsmeade, but in her experience if you at least tried to pretend that you were okay, people were more likely to believe that you were okay. As tears leaked from her eyes, Cordelia moved the upside down runes around. When would she be able to go home? Try as she might to stop it, tears still rolled down her cheeks. Her face felt hot and her nose was getting all snuffly. Cordelia picked her first rune. Mannaz. That could mean friends, social connections, community. Second rune. Hagalaz. Destruction, change. A reminder that she needed to refocus her energy. Or emotional outbursts. That was… surprisingly applicable to her current situation. Thurisaz. Destruction? Natural forces? Sacrifice? What was that supposed to mean? She wasn’t quite sure what all of those meant together, but this was actually kind of therapeutic. If she could piece together what these three runes together meant as a whole maybe she would be able to make more sense of her life and everything that had happened. ”I… I think…. I might…. Need some help.” Not just with the runes. Just runes help would do for the immediate present though.

While she was pretending to focus on her notebook, for the most part, she very much knew that Dorian kept glancing over at her. It very much pushed her to continue twirling her hair and trying to look as cute as possible. If anything, his efforts to focus harder only encouraged her more. And the smile. The small smile on his lips helped too. It was a very cute smile after all. His answer to the question was quite telling, she could see how she had been distracting him. But again, the fourth year made very little effort to stop.

Because this was fun.

Nina did have a rune cloth, for the record, but she kept that information to herself for the moment. It was in her bag and no one would know, after all. Instead of reaching for it, she set up one of the dollies that they had been provided. Finding herself to be slightly disappointed that they were being made to do their first reading on their own. She would much rather do it with Dorian’s help. Not that she needed it, but.

And so she turned to the older Ravenclaw as soon as their Professor finished addressing the class. ”Would you want to do the second reading with me maybe?” she looked at him with wide, hopeful eyes. Twirling a lock of hair around her index finger. Runes was much more fun when there were boys present.

As for her first reading, Nina looked around with uncertainty (as one did), before thinking through her question. There was a question she wanted to explore, but it was far too personal to share. And this fact alone almost dissuaded her from picking it. In the end, however, she knew that she could always lie if needed. It wouldn’t have been the first time she lied in class and it most certainly would not be the last. And so, the Slytherin sat still for a moment in quiet concentration, her focus on her question deep and undisturbed.

The first rune she drew was Wunjo. A rune symbolizing fellowship with friends. Harmony. Combined efforts. The fourth year hesitated for a moment, somewhat stunned. This rune was meant to symbolize the past of the situation in question. It made so much sense, almost too much sense. So much so that when Nina reached to take her next Rune, she did so with mild reluctance and very, very intense focus. Second was a representation of her current path. The past was something she, herself, understood enough about to have some sort of footing. But the present was confusing. It was the aspect that had lead to the particular question in the first place. Perhaps this is why the Rune felt much heavier when she reached for it. Berkana? … New life? She paused. Again, struck by how well she felt it described… everything.

Instead of mulling this one over, she refocused her energy on the final Rune of the set. Perhaps she ought to have asked a simpler question for the sake of the lesson. This one required far too much deep thought on her part and quite honestly, a lesson was not the place she wanted to be doing it. The third Rune she drew was Sowilo. Endless energy and a source of light. It was strange, unsettling even, how telling this was.

She stared at her spread. Uneasy. Because she was certain she knew what it meant and quite honestly, she hadn’t paused to consider which answer she wanted to see before beginning her reading. Though, perhaps that was for the best. Would it have skewed the interpretation had she already decided upon the answers she wanted to receive? Maybe. Either way, she was quite eager to set this one aside and work with Dorian for the second reading. So she looked up at him with a small smile, again twirling her hair.

Analiese was taking quite a while to get used to being in Madam Puddifoot's instead of the normal Ancient Runes classroom. She was taking notes very quickly, hence they seemed to be illegible scribble that even she could only read few words of. Once Professor Beryl had finished speaking, she looked around for a partner but decided that could be worried about later. She pulled out her rune cloth and spread it out on the table in front of her. She thought of a question for her first reading. She firmly kept in her head as she picked her runes.

Her first rune was Hagalaz. Destruction, rebirth and change. That made sense. That actually made a lot of a sense. She turned over her second rune and found that it was Thurisaz. Hardship and temporary separation. This made so much sense that it was starting to freak the young Ravenclaw out a bit. She shook the feeling off and turned over her next rune. Gebo. That meant... balance and unification. That had been the answer she had been wanting. Now that was done, she looked around again for a partner.

Why answer when sooooo many of her classmates had it pretty much covered, though? I mean, all she had to offer were repeat answers, so she preferred staying silent. Also, why would she create her own set when she was out of here (the 'here' being Hogwarts, obviously) forever in just a few short weeks and probably wasn't going to waste her time and money on university? Nope, these were fine and if she ended up eating them before the end of term (which she probably would), they were in Hogsmeade, surrounded by shops.

She quickly copied down the instructions and laid out one of the dollies on the table in front of her. That done she focused on her question while mixing around her set of runes until she felt compelled to pick one, repeating the process until she had three laying out and separate from the others. She turned the first one over and looked. Laguz, the rune of uncertainty and such. But it could also indicate a woman soooo..... Next was Daguz, which was much better. A well-led life, positive, good forces will be at work soon, etc. The final one was Raidho, the rune of journeys. Or a move or career change is foretold. Hopefully into pro quidditch like she'd asked about? Despite all the ridiculousness with this stupid mist canceling all their quidditch games this term and all that?

He was once again only vaguely paying attention to the lecture at hand, his limbs going through the motions of pull out his rune cloth and the bag of runes his mum had made while at Hogwarts during one of her own Ancient Runes lessons. He hadn't seen the need to purchase a set of his own when there was a perfectly fine set laying around in the attic. So the money his parents had allotted for a set of his own had been well spent elsewhere.

He, thankfully, was familiar enough with this particular three-spread reading that his wavering attention would not impact his understanding all that much. Though he snorted under his breath at the emphasis being placed on intent and not having your mind wander. A somewhat impossible feat considering the circumstances...and the fact that his own attention continuously flickered over towards a certain silent brunette.

Moving only when Gunnar began to, Eiji had not been focusing enough on the healer's words to know that they SHOULD be doing anything, the Slytherin spread his runes out and selected his three with a rather prominent thought in the forefront of his mind. Remarkably. "Ehwaz, Gebo, Nauthiz," he muttered to himself as he turned each over.

.......this was complete rubbish and not helpful at all.

Ehwaz, two horses, was obvious and surprisingly fitting. Steady progress and communication. Yup. Accurate but so what? Everything had been just FINE in the past and...what this supposed to be comforting? Then there was this Gebo business, which couldn't have been more inaccurate if it had tried. Unification of two forces? Not here. It was broken and that was what he was stupidly asking a bunch of wood chips to help him with. Referencing his book nonchalantly, he mumbled a sentence aloud to himself. "This will be a very intense encounter and one that can be grown into something more if desired." His cheeks reddened a bit and he quickly SLAMMED his book shut.

No. Nope. Not...thinking about that.

Too bad it was entirely ALL that was on his mind now and certain conversations that had. What THIS the answer the runes were giving him?His mum's runes?

Swallowing and clearing his throat, Eiji turned his attention on to the final rune of for the future which...well...that felt...equally depressing. Manage his needs? A degradation of life-quality through a shortage of something. Great. Just bloody great. The runes were not optimistic of their chances.

....but they were just wood chips so what did they really know anyway?

Distracted, he almost didn't hear Gunnar ask him a question and gave a bit of a gruff grunt to start. "Huh? Oh. Yeah. Sure." He quickly turned his three runes back over and returned him to those laid out on his deck. "You pick three from mine and I pick three from yours?"

Liliane was pretty much ready to graduate from Hogwarts. It had been a good six (and one at home) years but she was ready to go home now. She was sad they weren't in the castle, but they were safe and that was all that mattered. Sure Hogsmeade was a different situation, but she was going to try her very best in all her lessons. She was determined to do well in her NEWTS, despite all the stress that had happened this term. This determination also extended to her lessons. Ancient Runes wasn't her best subject, but she would try her very best. And they got cookies. So.... that was always good. Lili tried to eat as healthy as possible, so she could keep her fitness level for Quidditch up. But she did eat cookies and sweet things now and again.

She was concentrating hard, knowing she really had to listen to get all the instructions. She made a few notes, to help her in the activity they were about to do. She did have a rune clothe, since she had been doing runes for a while now (even if she wasn't the best) so she laid it in front of her. She was glad to have it rather than a dollie, since that might be a little distracting. Now onto the rune casting.

She formed a question in her head. She made sure it was one that she would remember, since she needed to remember it all the way through the casting. Lili then carefully spread her runes out on the clothe, keeping them upside down. Still thinking of her question, she carefully moved the runes around, careful not to knock them out of the rune clothe. She kept doing this till she felt compelled to pick up a rune. She did this until she had picked her three runes.

She then moved all the remaining runes carefully out of the way. Now.... to see what this rune casting had to tell her.

Keeping her head down and not engaging was actually helping her concentrate on whatever the professor was saying. And it was almost easy to forget the teenage angst. But it didn't last long, because the next part of the lesson had her thinking about one thing only. Her question was clear as a day and she really could not think of anything else she'd like to ask.

Placing her rune cloth in front, she tried not to show her nervousness and all too familiar curiosity to know. But she did a steal a glance of the Slytherin sitting near by - and to no surprise her question became all too prominent.

Looking back down, and keeping her head a less of a spiral than it usually was, she made her choice with the runes in front.

To say she was surprised was an understatement of course.

Keeping her expression neutral, she scribbled down Jera - for past, Eihwaz - for present, and Tiwaz - for future.

Biting her lower lip, she opened her book up and started reading - and the more she read, the more accurate it all felt. Because the past had definitely been a struggle, a long wait like the 'long winter' before things had gotten better - and then they had 'reaped' the rewards. Blushing a bit at the realisation, she scribbled down her findings before reading some more. And of course Eihwaz had appeared, she knew a little about it already - but she referred to her book again, even though she had already written the work 'CHANGE' in all capital in front of her 'present' already. Sure enough, change was happening, the way she felt had changed so much - and and adapting to it was difficult, trusting it felt difficult. And she certainly didn't know how to make sense of '.....change may seem full of uncertainty when it is first introduced, but it will become clear very quickly that such change is necessary' - because while it seemed positive, it also felt scary at the same time. The FUTURE of it .... made her feel hopeful however, but what did it mean by 'sacrifice'?? Did that mean she had to sacrifice a part herself to ... fix things? It made her stomach turn. Confused as ever, she wrote it all down - her shoulders slacking in disappointment and spiralling of her thoughts.

Certainly not in the mood to do another reading about herself, she looked finally looked up and tried to see if anyone was willing to partner up. Anyone?

Picking up his self-inking quill again he wrote down the notes on the blackboard in his own notebook before he closed it to begin the activity. He placed the notebook and quill aside before he leaned down to grab his bag. He pulled out a neatly folded midnight blue rune cloth that he had bought in the store two years ago and unfolded it as he placed it in front of him on the table. Now, he could use his own store-bought runes but for this time he wanted to use the cookie runes. The Professor's advice of making an own rune set did make him think and wonder why he had not made one yet. Perhaps this could be an activity he could start next year.

He reached for the tin with rune cookies and took all of them out. He flipped down the ones that were faced upwards and looked at Nina as she asked if they could work together during the next reading. "Yeah sure" he said with a nonchalant shrug before he focused on his question.

What kind of question did he want to ask? He sat there for a good minute, just staring at the runes and to others it might look like he was concentrating on his question but in reality his mind was blank.

Should he ask something important like about the Mist and the faith of the school? Or something personal ? Or something about his education? He scratched his head before he settled on an simple question and then started to mix them with his hands.

He picked out three runes and placed them next to each other on the cloth, the rest he put back in the bin. While he continued to concentrate on his question, he grabbed his text and notebook flipped the first rune over.



Dorian frowned, he wasn't sure how his question had anything to do with the past rune but perhaps if he continued it was going to make sense. He flipped the next rune over which represented the present.



Again, he frowned. This was NOT his current state. This was his goal state so why did he draw this rune during the present? He scratched his head, looking confused at his runes. This whole subject was confusing , why did he ever continue with it?

The last rune was flipped over and he grabbed his text book to see the meaning



His eyes looked at Nina for a second before he continued his reading.



Uhm excuse you runes but he was not going to listen to you. He just wanted a girlfriend before he graduated! Why were even the Runes against it?!

"You want to go first?" he asked the Slytherin. Please go first cause this was confusing.

While Beryl talked, Lucas took a white doily and spread it out in front of him. He could use his rune cloth, which was stuffed in his bag right now, but...... this seemed a bit more appropriate. And he would be able to see if it got dirty a bit better than with the cloth, which was important for cookies.

There was a lot of talking, wasn't there? It was impossible to keep up with any note-taking and so, he made a simple note about the past, present, and future, and then another bit about questions and gods and goddesses of fate. Why they were important, he didn't know, but he had a feeling the exam was going to think it's important enough.

Now. He needed a question.

Pushing everything apart from the doily, the tin, and his textbook aside, Lucas looked up again, a small frown forming on his face. Question. Question. What should he ask? His eyes started wandering around the room, as if a question was going to pop out of nowhere. But all he could think about were tea - which he didn't even like - doilies and people coming here for dates. It was probably not a good mix of-

.........

Oh.

Oh.

A small blush crept on his face but....... there was a question. He had a question. It was something he didn't want an answer to - he didn't even want to think about it, really - but hey, it was a question. Biting his lip, he reached into the tin and started spreading the rune cookies out face down on the doily in front of him. Was he paying attention to which rune was placed where? Not really. Some part of his brain was having its own battle over the question. Was this a good question? Did he want to know the answer? What if it was something terrible and he started crying and ran out of there and and.....

........

No.

Taking a deep breath, he started mixing them up again. Some went here, some went there........ He didn't know how long he was supposed to do this for but, eventually, he picked out three runes he was, uh, drawn to and laid them out closest to him, still face down. And then he carefully pushed the other runes aside, but still on the doily to keep them clean.

Now. The reading.

The first rune, the rune for the past, was..... Isa. Isa, which meant stillness, purity, and consciousness? And ice. Confused, he turned to his book and started reading up on the description that was listed out in there. There was some more frowning, and maybe some head scratching, as he tried to figure out what this even meant. Did it mean he needed a rest or....... he'd been resting? Was this about him?

Oh Merlin, what if it was about him?!

But it would make sense, wouldn't it? Because he hadn't done anything about..... well, his question. Nothing. Everything had been going the same as they had been going, even after a simple trip to the Astronomy tower with stargazing and hot chocolate. He'd been waiting, hadn't he? Or was he just scared about doing anything for himself?

Feeling uncomfortable, Lucas decided to move onto the second rune, which turned out to be Mannaz. Which was about self-identity and social perception. But this was inverted so...... uh, self-delusion? Mistrust? Not being able to judge a character? Eyes wide, he just stared at the description in his book, especially the inverted meaning. Making peace with himself first. Meditation and self-reflection.

*cue internal screaming*

He knew EXACTLY what that meant. It was obvious enough to him that he wasn't going to bother thinking of another meaning behind it. How much had he questioned Emma about this? How much had he asked and fretted his way to where he was sitting right now? This was, probably, a little too accurate and he was terrified.

Whatever his feelings might be, that didn't stop the boy from turning over the last rune, which was Ingwaz. Which was about growth, the body and...... outdoor activity??!

No. Just no. If this rune was telling him that he was going to do exercise, he wasn't having it. No way.

Scrunching up his nose, Lucas turned to the textbook and started reading the description. But the more he read, the more confused he became. This was telling him that he needed a better diet? Pay attention to his body?? How was that answering his question? In any way?

But then his eyes found the last few paragraphs and he...... paused. Growth. Personal growth. Something was going to happen that was going to make him grow as a person. Whatever that something was, it couldn't be good. And then, further down, there was a note about food and meal with friends, which only caused him to flush even more. That sounded much better, in his opinion, maybe even a good sign. But personal growth? From a meal? That seemed impossible.

It was safe to say that Lucas was confused and slightly unsettled by how accurate some of these were, especially the inverted Mannaz.

And yes, there was still internal screaming.

Naturally the professor did not know what the Gryffindor girl had asked her runes, but she was walking around the tea shop as the students sought their answers, ready to guide those who needed assistance, so she saw her intent focus and... was that a touch of sadness? She would not pry. At times consulting the runes could be a very personal thing.



The elder of the McCarthy siblings was always one that Carmine could trust to get on with his work, she was pleased to see today was no different. He was quite the industrious young man, from what she had noticed thusfar, and much easier to keep on task than her own same-aged sons.



She wanted to go home. Of course. Professor Beryl studied the young girl, making a few assessments and finally responding, "We'll speak after class, Cordelia." She said kindly but firmly. And she might be needing to send correspondence to Mrs Stemp. As a medical professional, she had concerns about the girl's well-being.

At least she was attempting the task at hand, though when the professor did her rounds she couldn't help but notice the sniffles and the lack of focus. She was close enough to hear her speak again.

"Are you having trouble with your interpretations? Give it a go." More than a cursory one. Carmine placed a runes dictionary on the girl's table. "I can't tell you the answers: you need to interpret the runes yourself. You can do it."



It was always pleasant to see Nina focused, though she made a mental note to have her sit in the front of the class and not too close to any distracting influences once they were returned to the classroom next term. She was still trying to encourage the girl to have confidence in herself and embrace her clean enjoyment in her studies rather than suppressing it out of some misguided attempt to impress.

She seemed particularly closely focused on whatever her runes were telling her in response to her question, so Professor Beryl simply continued walking past, leaving the girl to her musing.



Analiese had impressed Professor Beryl this term. The first year was industrious when it came to making efforts to understand an often difficult topic, and Carmine rather thought that she might have a promising future in the subject if she continued on the same path. She caught the girl's eye and nodded encouragingly as she made her rounds.



Given runecasting was often such a personal thing, Carmine did not push any of the students to reveal what they were inquiring about in their runecast, particularly not those who were on task and making the required effort. The Hufflepuff prefect appeared to be following instructions, so Carmine left her to it, simply nodding in approval as she walked past the girl's table.



Well the young Slytherin seemed..... concerned about whatever it was he was gleaning from the runes in front of him. A nice, serviceable set, she had noticed. So long as he stayed on task and kept that little storm cloud over his head from thundering around the other students then she was content with his participation in the lesson. Professor Beryl would not pry here either.



The seventh years in her lessons were always interesting to watch, she found. Many were experts at going through the motions and keeping their heads down until they could graduate, which was fine, but Liliane's focus was admirable. More so than most of the students in the teashop today, she genuinely seemed to be focused. It was nice to see. Hopefully the girl would find her reading enlightening.



Carmine had taken to keeping a rather close eye on Missa since they had last spoken together in her capacity as the school healer, not in relation to mist concerns but other incidents. She gave the young girl an encouraging smile. It would be alright. She would be alright.



She would only look in on the Ravenclaw boy if he requested it, and certainly Carmine had no intention of distracting him from his work, as he seemed to be gamely doing his best to focus and make the most of the learning time.

Hopefully Nina would not distract him overmuch. THAT was something she would keep an eye on, certainly.



It was a surprisingly, but not unpleasantly, quiet lesson today in the tea shop. Carmine did not think it was solely due to adjustments being made as an after effect of the mist either. She found often this element of Ancient Runes brought out the introspective, sometimes angst-ridden overthinking responses in teenagers in particular. But if it meant they were working hard and applying their newly acquired abilities to interpret the runes to whatever situations they were experiencing, privately Professor Beryl thought it was a positive thing. Growth inducing. Young Lucas seemed.... perplexed however. And was the young man blushing? She would not draw attention to it.

______________

"Twenty minutes left, everyone. If you haven't moved onto your second reading now is the time to do so. If you don't complete your readings and analyses by the end of our session, you can work on them for homework and exam revision." Professor Beryl addressed the class.

"For those of you who are done, do you think runecasting is harder or easier for yourself or for other people? No right or wrong answers, I am simply interested in your thoughts!"


ooc: Its almost time for it aaaall to end! I will be ending this lesson in around 12 hours time (so that I have enough time to enter all your house points before the feast opens!) Feel free to make a final post with your students doing their second readings, together or separately, and/or answer the last question above. Thanks everyone for playing!

Twenty minutes left?

Lucas looked up suddenly, and then around and then back at the rune cookies. Twenty minutes. Twenty minutes to get another reading in and interpret it and not overthink. That last part sounded impossible but he was going to do it, even if it took him all of those twenty minutes to do so.

As for the question, well, he had an answer. Runecasting was harder for himself because there were things he didn't really want to know - looking at you, Mannaz. It was a bit more personal, you know? And there was always that part of him that was scared about what the runes were going to say about him. What if it gave him an answer he didn't like? What then??

But he wasn't done so he wasn't going to answer. Instead, he gathered up the rune cookies again and started spreading them out, face down. There was no choice but to stick to the same question, mostly because he really wanted to see if he could get a different answer that could be more positive than the one before.

Which wasn't cheating. It wasn't.

Eventually, after a lot of mixing around, the boy picked out three runes that he was, again, drawn to. He didn't really understand why and it felt like a lot of picking random rune cookies but these seemed to stick out to him. In a weird way. He laid these out in front of him, face down, and pushed the other ones aside.

Slowly, he reached over and turned over the first rune. The rune for the past. Which was..... Hagalaz? Slightly confused, he glanced over at the textbook, only to see the words 'judgement' and 'creative destruction' stand out. What? did that? have to do? with ANYTHING?! Was there a mistake? Could there be a mistake?

The only answer was to continue reading, which he did and was...... slowly starting to regret. Letting go of the past? Destruction? DISAPPOINTMENT?! DISAPPOINTMENT?!

Oh Merlin.

Even so, he continued reading. Fear of destruction and loss prevents future growth. Disappointment is a necessary first-step in achieving change. A setback will happen for a reason?? So if this was about the past, did that mean that the setback had already happened? Which, well, he could understand since, in the last reading, his first rune was Isa and that talked about stillness.

Yeaaaaah, he was feeling uncomfortable so he was going to move onto the next rune to pop out at him. The present? Berkana, but an inverted Berkana. One that meant stagnation and a failure to initiate something.

The internal screaming only intensified.

Lucas covered his face with his hands. This wasn't happening. It wasn't. He almost didn't want to read the description completely because he already had a feeling he knew what it was going to say. He wasn't doing anything. That was it, wasn't it? He hadn't done anything because he...... didn't really know how to. Or if he should. Or if it would be worth it.

A few moments later, he uncovered his face and peeked at the description in his book, mostly out of curiosity. Stubborn refusal to channel creative and healing forces? Accept the rites of passage of life? And then, further along, friction within relationships, even betrayal.

Merlin, he didn't like the sound of any of this.

But there was one last rune left and he might as well find out if the future of..... this was going to be bad or not. He wasn't holding out much hope here but he still turned over the last rune cookie to see the symbol of Jera. Jera, which stood for harvest - what? - and change and rewards. That sounded better, right? Maybe the others were bad because he was going to get a reward out of it. He still didn't know how to feel about that.

Leaning over, his eyes found the meaning in the textbook and he started reading. A permanent reward after hardships, yes, exactly. A reward after his own stagnation. It was an odd combination but it was starting to make a bit more sense now. And then there was a bit about a meal and outdoor festivities??

Why did these future runes want him to go outside and eat so badly??

But what Lucas was taking away from this, something that hit a little closer to home, was this paragraph right here. This paragraph that talked about an extra push to finish a job, a motivation to get the job done. It could mean a lot of things, yeah, but he knew exactly what this was talking about because it could only be about one thing. Something he needed to do, which only left him feeling more uncomfortable than he started off feeling.

Yeaaaaaaah, he didn't like any of this. Not at all.

Tina's eyes flicked toward the blackboard as the question and answers appeared, and she began taking notes. Oh, okay, it looked like she'd been correct in thinking that emotions were more an internal factor than an external one. She was glad she hadn't voiced that thought, but she was still curious about the affect one's emotional state had on rune readings. Maybe she'd ask Professor Beryl about it later. Another thing that piqued her curiosity was the mention of creating one's own rune set. That was something she definitely wanted to try, and her mind buzzed with questions about the process. How did one go about consecrating and invoking runes? And what effect did the material the runes were made of have? Those were questions for another time, she supposed.

With some difficulty, Tina refocused her thoughts on the task at hand and prepared to do her first reading. Note to self: buy a rune cloth, she thought. She wished she'd thought to but one the last time she was in Diagon Alley! It would've been so much better to use than these hideous frilly things, but it was what it was. She neatly arranged a doily on the table in front of her and spread her runes. The first question she asked was the one that had been on her mind constantly since the mist appeared: Will I return to Hogwarts next year?

Concentrating as hard as she could on her question, Tina selected the first rune that drew her attention, then a second and a third. She turned over the first rune… inverted Wunjo. So that meant sorrow, strife, and alienation. Well, that was certainly accurate, though Tina wasn't sure if it referred to the circumstances that brought her to Hogwarts or her past experiences in the school itself. Either one could apply!*

After jotting down her interpretations. she moved on to the next rune: Nauthiz. That meant restriction, which Tina interpreted to mean the restrictions that the mist had placed in her freedom, and conflict. Well, duh! Obviously she was conflicted about returning to Hogwarts, or she wouldn't be asking that question! Between the chaos that constantly plagued Hogwarts and the ever-growing list of people she despised, she wanted no part in this school anymore, but at the same time… she had a father figure who'd sacrificed so much of himself to this school. A part of her felt she needed to stay and keep the memory of his contributions alive as long as she could. She consulted her book to see if there could be another meaning. Nauthiz also meant survival and the will to overcome. Did that mean she had the straight to survive whatever Hogwarts could throw at her? It certainly didn't feel like it right now!

Feeling even more confused than ever, Tina revealed the final rune in her reading, Ingwaz. That meant… internal growth and family love. The family love part was easy to decipher, and once again, her thoughts turned to the man who'd become like a father to her. Did that mean she would return to Hogwarts for him and grow to love the school as he once did? The idea seemed preposterous! As she checked the book again, she saw there was another meaning of Ingwaz that could apply: freedom to move in a new direction. Maybe that meant she'd leave Hogwarts and be homeschooled for her final year, or better yet, find a way to get back into Beauxbatons?

Tina took a moment to write down her findings, hoping that would help her process her overwhelming thoughts, before moving on to her second reading. She was grateful that Professor Beryl had given them the option to work alone for the second reading! Group work made her nervous, and that anxiety could throw off her concentration for the reading. Now she just needed a question, but she wasn't sure what. She'd already used the most pressing thing on her mind for the first reading. Then it occurred to her: Will I get accepted to Monvoisin Wizarding University? All three of her dads, her real one and the two men who became father figures to her after his passing, had gone there, and it was her dream to follow in their footsteps.

She spread the runes over her doily and picked the first three that caught her eye, gently pushing the others aside. Eithwaz was the first rune she revealed, and that meant motivation, sense of purpose, and a driving force to acquire. That made sense. She had a clear goal of attending that specific university and had worked hard for a long time toward it. What was next? Tina turned over the second rune, Kenaz… knowledge, creativity, and the power to create one's reality. Maybe that referred to the knowledge and creativity she'd gained from her studies, and the "power to create one's own reality" meant that having said knowledge gave her more power to decide which university she wanted to attend… or something along those lines.

Tina looked at the final rune: Sowilo. She knew even before consulting her book that that was a promising result! One of the meanings for sowilo was success or goals achieved, so did that mean that if she continued working hard, she'd get into her dream school? Then there was another possible meaning that caught her eye: a positive change. Was that a sign that she could get accepted somewhere even more prestigious than Monvoisin? Or maybe the positive change would be simply leaving Hogwarts forever?

Tina had a lot to think about as she wrote her findings. She was so absorbed in the task that she almost didn't hear Professor Beryl's question. Luckily, it was one she didn't have to think about much. She knew that, at least in her experience, rune readings were easier to do on herself. Her hand went up, and she said when called on, "Maybe I don't have an accurate basis for comparison, since I've never tried a runecasting for another person, but I would think it's easier to do for yourself. You know yourself better than any other person would, so you could better interpret the way the rune meanings apply to you."Did that answer make sense? She hoped it did!

Analiese met Professor Beryl's eye as she looked at her, and smiled at the encouraging nod. She looked back down at the rune cookies. She had another question. Something a bit more personal. Okay, it was much more personal. She closed her eyes mixed the runes until she picked three that she felt drawn to. She bit her lip as she stared down at the three cookies. She wanted an answer to this, yet at the same time she didn't. She took a deep breath and turned over the first rune.

Nauthiz. The young girl flipped through her textbook to find a reading. Need and desire. This did make a bit of sense, but not so much. She flipped over the second rune. It was Gebo. Unification. Did that mean she... She shook her head and flipped over the next rune. Eihwaz. Change and growth.

Oh Merlin.

Maeve could feel Beryl's presence as she walked around the room which only made the gryffindor itch more for the boyfriend. For the best friend in which she could only hope was in a better place and that she'd found joy. She shouldn't have picked such a deeply personal question for her first reading because hearing the call for time about her second reading, well, Maeve didn't want to do another reading. She'd do it for homework, yes, that sounded like a much better idea. The good thing about being outside of the castle and in Hogsmeade was that she could walk around the village to clear her head....

So she was done for the moment because she wasn't going to cast another set for herself just yet. She was too inside herself to concentrate on figuring out another question.

"Myself. Definitely harder. When casting for other people it's easier to detach yourself from the situation. When casting on yourself ... you can't really remove you from the equation." Which was different to what Tina had said, but that was how she felt on the situation, at least. Also, could she eat a cookie now? Maybe it'd help settle her stomach.

Gunnar hardly paid much attention to his table mate as he did his own reading, even when Eiji mumbled aloud to himself. The sixteen year old would have simply thought the other boy was doing his own work, much like he was. Until the slamming shut of the book startled him enough to look over at him suddenly.

"........everything okay?" Perhaps he had gotten an answer from the runes that he did not like? He did note the blush and raised an eyebrow as he looked at him a moment, but certainly didn't press more than that. He didn't like inserting himself into other people's business if he could help it.

But good, he agreed to do the next reading together, and Gunnar nodded... but then quickly shook his head. "No, I mean I'll do your reading and you can do mine." He could use his own runes for that and it would be good practice for both of them in interpretation.

"Think of your question, then speak it aloud. I'll choose the runes and give you my interpretation." And then Eiji could do the same for him, if he wanted. But he should if he was doing it for him in the first place.

Glancing up as he heard the professor's question, Gunnar was about to offer an answer but the one that Gryffindor girl gave would have been similar to his own. Some of the divination readings he was able to do for others was similar to runecasting, and he agreed with that opinion. So he kept his mouth shut and turned his attention back to his tablemate.

The news that they were allowed to sample the cookies once the lesson was over had been met with an equal positive reaction to what Lucas’s had been. If only because Stasya had been feeling a lack of cookies lately, ever since the mist had prevented her from visiting the kitchens to make some. Just like she still felt guilt over not having been able to visit the creatures in the barns prior to the evacuation, even as she felt certain Professor Cornish had made sure the creatures all got out safely. The withdrawals from baking were hitting her harder now, really. Especially being presented with the cookies and runecasting and everything. Her focus was split between the lesson and making sure her tablemate was doing alright, but she’d still managed to note down a few facts from the discussion. External factors affecting rune interpretations and all…she definitely wanted to include magical distractions into that list. Namely, mists that keep her from everything she likes.

There had been a momentary distraction from the mention of the Norns, too. Even though they weren’t Icelandic.

Still, as they’d been released to do their own readings, she had slid a doily over to act as her rune cloth just for aesthetic reasons. Cookies deserved respect too and she imagined they’d like the doily better than her rune cloth in her bag. Afterward, she carefully took her rune cookies out of their tin and spread them out on the doily, face down, focusing on the first question that came to her mind as she shuffled them around a few times. Only then did she select three and separate them from the rest

Thurisaz…Dagaz…Gebo

That made her think, but then she also chose to check her textbook just to make sure. Thurisaz meant discipline, pain, sacrifice. Which definitely fit with her feelings right now, everything she’d been thinking of since the first moment of being stuck in the castle. Dagaz meant a turn for the better, a positive outcome. She’d managed to escape, even if she still felt a little restricted in Hogsmeade and still didn’t know about the fate of most of her pets. And then finally she had Gebo, which she remembered from the long ago lesson on binding runes. A gift, balance, proposals. Oddly enough her first thought there went to her mama, if only because she knew Koen understood why she didn’t want to rush into things. Either way, it did answer the question of what she could expect after graduation. Sort of. Maybe.

Quote:

Originally Posted by emjay

Gunnar hardly paid much attention to his table mate as he did his own reading, even when Eiji mumbled aloud to himself. The sixteen year old would have simply thought the other boy was doing his own work, much like he was. Until the slamming shut of the book startled him enough to look over at him suddenly.

"........everything okay?" Perhaps he had gotten an answer from the runes that he did not like? He did note the blush and raised an eyebrow as he looked at him a moment, but certainly didn't press more than that. He didn't like inserting himself into other people's business if he could help it.

But good, he agreed to do the next reading together, and Gunnar nodded... but then quickly shook his head. "No, I mean I'll do your reading and you can do mine." He could use his own runes for that and it would be good practice for both of them in interpretation.

"Think of your question, then speak it aloud. I'll choose the runes and give you my interpretation." And then Eiji could do the same for him, if he wanted. But he should if he was doing it for him in the first place.

Glancing up as he heard the professor's question, Gunnar was about to offer an answer but the one that Gryffindor girl gave would have been similar to his own. Some of the divination readings he was able to do for others was similar to runecasting, and he agreed with that opinion. So he kept his mouth shut and turned his attention back to his tablemate.

He was not doe ad therefore was not going to prioritize his thoughts on what the healer was asking of them. In fact, he would rather not prioritize his thoughts on the task at hand either, nor the older Slytherin he had paired himself up with for the time being. Even if he did admire Gunnar, he was in no mood to chit chat.

"Just peachy," he replied gruffly. A tone he wished he had made even more gruff when Gunnar continued speaking. If he was going to have to speak his question aloud, he was going to pick something arbitrary and of little consequence. He didn't want anyone overhearing any of his business nor gaining insight they were not privileged to know. So no questions about Missa. None about Rebecca. Nothing to terribly personal but it had to have a hint of that to make it appear as though he were actively participating. "Fine," he grunted a little under his breath while giving his mum's runes a bit of a shuffle in preparation. "What does the universe want me to know about my career progression as a potioneer and alchemist?" he asked dryly and with a tone oozing with sarcasm.

And could he just preemptively select the three runes for Gunnar? His fingers were already pushing a random three over to the right.

And no. No cookies.

Professor Beryl's smile was more assuring than she'd be able to explain - so she made sure to smile back, even if it didn't really reach her eyes.

As for the second reading - she couldn't find anyone to smile at. Maybe she needed to chat more in class - because it looked like no one was interested to pair up. So, once again the brunette looked down, and decided to do it on her own.

Trying not to think of the same things as before, she went over other things that worried her - and eventually landed on the most obvious question, 'will I make out alive this term?'

Concentrating on the question, she reached out and made her second selection and quickly wrote down the three names: Othala - for past, Hagalaz - for present, and Sowilo - for future.

Well, this was interesting.

Flipping over the pages in her book, she began reading - and somehow it felt accurate and confusing at the same time yet again.

She figured Othala was representing her love for Hogwarts, and how attached she was to it - it was her second 'home', and in the 'past' context - it made sense.

But as she started reading about Hagalaz - her face paled, because it was entirely too accurate and it scared the crap out of her, her mind blanked completely as she wrote down what she read 'he destruction of Ragnarok is the kind of destruction one sees in the rune Hagalaz -- a destruction that is necessary in order to bring about rebirth of a new world, or a new phase of one's life.'. She was going to die, they were going to die. BECAUSE IT WAS ALL NECESSARY.

She was going to throw up, for sure.

Was there some water nearby? She needed water.

......Completely and utterly convinced that she would now be sacrificed for the greater good, she didn't even dare read about Sowilo. And simply slacked back in her seat.

"Don't forget," Carmine said, addressing the class at large upon seeing the rather.... dramatic reactions of Lucas and Missa in particular in response to their readings, "that what you glean from the runes is not set in stone. Its a guide for you to follow if you wish to, and you have the opportunity to reflect and change your path. Runecasting is a matter of analysing cause and effect, after all." She particularly sent comforting looks at those two, since they seemed the most.... well, concerned, by their runecasts. Perhaps the reminder would be a timely one.

Gunnar and Eiji were at least working together quietly, though it was perhaps a good thing that Professor Beryl did not see Eiji's preemptive picking of runes. All the same, there were learning experiences to be had from such things, and a lesson on not forcing the meaning to match a question too that perhaps the boys would find themselves reflecting on.



It was interesting to see on one hand there were first years like Analiese, and on the other, ready-to-graduate seventh years like Stasya all working industriously on task. The beginning and end of a rune journey. She left both girls be, since they were so focused, but she was certain they knew they could ask for help if they wished.

Tina and Maeve both had some excellent contributions and responses to the question she had posed, though Carmine did have to give a reminder: "Maeve, it may be the end of the term, but please remember to raise your hand before you answer." She wasn't in trouble though, not right now. It was a reminder. "Its interesting to hear both of your viewpoints, Maeve, Tina. There are certainly pros and cons to both. Certainly you can apply your understanding of your self to your reading in a more accurate way, but you can be compromised by the emotional impact at times. Perhaps it is worth considering the nature of the question you are seeking answers for as one of the factors. You can also try doing readings for yourself as if you were doing them for someone else, attempt to be objective. Difficult but not impossible. Some good thoughts, girls."

____

She checked the time and then spoke up, addressing the class as a whole. "Alright everyone. Its time to pack up. Thank you for your hard work and concentration today, well done. Please complete your readings for your homework and reflect upon your work in your rune journals." Gladly those had been salvaged from the school given she'd had them for marking at the time of the evacuation preparation. "Take your rune cookies with you - you may eat them and share them with friends, or keep them to practice with, it is up to you. Please leave your tables tidy!" She wouldn't want the Puddifoots staff to be further put out! And.... she was going to get herself some tea as soon as the students had left.

ooc: Thank you all for coming! Sorry this reply is a bit short, I lost my first go around >.< This will stay open until the feast opens, so you can reply a finishing or leaving post if you want, but no further house points will be earned as I'll be putting those in shortly for both this lesson and the last one.

Gunnar could tell that Eiji was not "just peachy," but he simply eyed him for a moment, not bothering to ask a follow up. They weren't more than acquaintances and unless he was bleeding heavily and in danger of losing a limb, the fifth year did not care that much. In fact, he was a bit relieved that he did not go into anything too personal as it was more a courtesy question.

But as the younger boy continued his gruff tone, Gunnar set his jaw as his face took on an unimpressed look. He was not stupid and could easily discern a dry and sarcastic tone. He did those well enough on his own, and he was not here for it. He had his own things to deal with and wasn't interested in whatever bad day his housemate was having.

"Look, if you didn't want to work together, all you needed to do was say so," he replied shortly, turning away from him to focus on his own runes in front of him. "I know how to runecast and I don't need to do a courtesy reading, if you're not going to take it seriously." He actually did want to practice his reading on another person but he wasn't about to answer for something asked so flippantly. "And it doesn't really work if you pre-select the runes," he added without looking up. He had already seen him start to push some runes to the side that he would guess would be for his reading and honestly? He wasn't going to entertain some fake reading just to get it over with.

And since he'd do this one on his own as well, hoping that his first reading could be the one he'd discuss with the class or the professor as necessary, he chose to focus on the very personal question that had been niggling at the back of his mind since the first one.