Divination - Class #1

[Meralie]

Meralie clapped her hands to attract the classes' attention.

"Welcome to a new year!" she began, her eyes twinkling lightly at all the students looking toward her with expectance. She gave a small, appreciative smile before continuing. "Last year showed some very impressive results - but I was most impressed by the enthusiasm shown by all who attended my classes. It is no secret that the art of Divination is only for the Gifted, and that my classes are rather difficult for those who do not possess the Sight... but it is my belief, as it is the Heads', that every witch or wizard has at least an inkling of what lies beneath the surface."

A small silence followed her speech. A few students were staring somewhat agape at Meralie's mildly astounding proclamation. Meralie bent down and placed a bowl upon her desk. "It is my job to guide you."

She clapped her hands again, and the word 'Psychometry' wrote itself on the board. "Please could you come up, one by one, and remove a velvet pouch from the bowl before me. Open your textbooks to the first Chapter, "Methods of Divination". Your assignment should be at the bottom of the first page. If anybody needs any assistance, do not hesitate to ask."

Smiling softly, Meralie sat in a comfortable dusky pink chair, her glazed eyes lifted towards the ceiling, avoiding the eyes of the curious students who, one by one, collected their pouch and returned to their desks.


www.freewebs.com/meralie/

[Athena]

Athena aproached the desk to take a velvet pouch. She smiled at her teacher and took a pouch and thought, "She seems nice enough. Perhaps i can learn alot from her."

Athena then headed to her seat and opened up her text book and started to read.

ooc: how do we figure out what the assignment is?

[Marina Roeswood]

Divination was admittedly one of Marina’s least favorite subjects. It wasn’t that the field wasn’t extremely interesting, and it wasn’t that she didn’t care for the Professor. The fact of the matter was that there were no exact textbook answers in this subject, and whatever she Saw could be entirely something that her mind made up. She had the slightest ability in Divination that stopped her from dropping the subject entirely, but she was definitely no Seer. Any visions she had were disjointed and faulty, and no matter how she tried, she could never seem to focus herself to the level necessary.

Nina paid rapt attention to the instructor of the class, catching every word and weighing it seriously. She was definitely a more than gifted student, but this was a weak area, and one that she’d have to try exceedingly hard in. Without further instruction she immediately opened her textbook page, relieved to see that it was Psychometry, which she’d done before at least. But of course, this particular assignment would probably be pretty difficult, judging that she wouldn’t have the person in front of her to help her along in her visions.

Standing up, she strode to the front of the class, collecting a pouch randomly and waiting patiently until she’d reached her desk to open it, whereas some students were practically ripping the pouch apart in an attempt to know what they’d chosen at random. Marina considered herself to be far too dignified for such behavior, and finally, she gingerly opened the velvet case and pulled out a gold ring set with an almost gaudy blue sapphire. It was a pretty piece really, but nothing she’d ever wear. Nina blanked her mind as completely as possible, grasping her fingers around the cool metal, trying to see the memories that were held within. Pictures flashed in her brain but they were fuzzy and unclear, creating some sort of distorted movie in her mind. As soon as the visions ended she set the ring carefully in the pouch again, picking up her quill and ink and beginning to write in an almost frenzied pace, trying to write down every little minute detail before she forgot.

Psychometry - Mysterious images
By Marina Roeswood

I’ll admit, I was very apprehensive about this assignment before I started it, judging that I’ve never been exceedingly talented in Divination, which is a highly troubling fact to someone like me who finds them self excelling in most subjects. Immediately after I selected the pouch, I began clearing my mind of my negative thoughts first, knowing that they would be the more troublesome to deal with if I wanted to See anything even close to clearly. When I sat down at my desk, I did my best to empty my usually reeling mind of all thoughts entirely, and when I felt I was ready, I finally took hold of the ring, though I’ll admit that I was still a little nervous.

It took me a few moments to first begin Seeing anything, and I was afraid that I was going to fail the assignment completely. However, the first few flickers were what got me to completely focus on the task at hand, and the visions began to improve in quality, though I’m still somewhat baffled at what I Saw and felt.

I remember feeling a strong sensation of happiness, and I think I also felt very warm physically. In front of me there was what I assume was a cake, and I think it was pink or purple in coloration. At first I thought it was on fire, but now I think it might just have been covered in an exceedingly large amount of candles. There were lots of people around, though I really didn’t get a good look at any of them, but I think I might have sensed merriment around me. I think on top of the joyous feeling there was some sort of age or mortality to it, so I think whomever the ring belonged to might have been very old, and this might have been a birthday that they celebrated later in life that I Saw. I think I might have felt somewhat ill as well, though I can’t determine whether or not that was actually part of what I was seeing or part of my actual physical state at the moment. All the images I saw, and everything around me, was very blurry, hazy, dark, and unclear. The images were very unfocused and shifted in and out, and finally they faded away completely.

I don’t know if even you’ll be able to make sense of anything I Saw, or if this was even a genuine vision or a very active imagination running rampant. Based on my experience in Divination last year, it is my own personal opinion that working with a possession of someone that is at least an acquaintance is far easier than working blindly, because I think their presence tends to give subconscious clues, though perhaps, that makes the vision a bit more inaccurate.

Sighing in an almost resigned fashion, she set the quill aside, grabbing the parchment and the pouch with the ring inside and stood, letting the ink dry while she walked to the Professor’s desk. Handing in the assignment, she walked back to her own chair, still wondering if there was anything she could have done better to make the vision more accurate and less confusing.


Meralie -->
A very good attempt, Marina. I do remember you from last year, and that you had difficulty with some aspects of my subject, however you seem to be really setting your mind to it this year, and it seems to be working. Although you weren't entirely sure of your reactions, you were absolutely correct - this ring belonged to my great-aunt, who passed away last year and left this ring in my possession. You must be thinking of her seventieth birthday party. A very good attempt, overall... seventeen points to Slytherin for your hard work.

[Eleanor]

Eleanor grinned as she approached the Professor's desk to collect one of the many velvet pouches, wondering what could be in them. She opened the pouch as soon as she sat back down, and took a deep breath as a thin chain of silver fell into her hand, with a small teardrop-shaped cut of peridot hung on it as a decoration. It was plain-looking; nothing that would get stares or questions. But it was certainly beautiful.

She felt it in her hands for what seemed like ages, closing her eyes in an attempt to clear her mind. The chain didn't seem to hold much feeling in it, but when her fingers reached the peridot she felt something - trying to hold onto the feeling for as long as she could, Eleanor pushed her mind further, receiving no pictures but many waves of intense feeling. As soon as the rush of new information subsided the Hufflepuff opened her eyes and scrambled for her ink and parchment, embarrassed that she had forgotten to set them out before trying to read the object.

Eleanor Sel'shea
Psychometry Attempt

It was one thing to receive feelings, but another thing entirely to try to fit them into writing that anyone who read it would understand. It took Eleanor a few more precious minutes of class time to arrange the words in her head, feeling slightly apprehensive as she penned the first words but more confident as she went.

I was definitely disappointed that I was not able to obtain any images from my attempt as psychometry, but the dearth of feeling I received should more than make up for it. The chain was very vague, as I recall, but I did pick up traces of a certain sorrowful realization. Quite confusing. The jewel was easier for me to focus on, as you'll see.

Upon searching the gem with my fingers, my empty mind was simply flooded, if you can imagine something. There was happiness and surprise, turning to the same sort of epiphany that I described from the chain. It was as if this necklace represented something much more to the person than a mere gift or trinket - it seemed to bring out feelings of pride and responsibility as well. Perhaps this was a gift from an especially beloved person, or (and I believe this is more likely) a present that signifies a coming of age; with the excitement of the new world of being an adult ahead, the sadness of leaving a fondly remembered childhood behind can come out. Perhaps it was a goodbye present.

Eleanor sighed, thinking more. There had been more, but everything that she had managed to extract from the necklace had left her mind except for what she had written down (in a hand that she belatedly realized was quite messy and rushed) on the parchment. It would have to do, she decided halfheartedly as she replaced the necklace into its pouch and rose to return the pouch and parchment to the Professor. She hoped that the assignment hadn't been a total washout.


Meralie -->
Very interesting indeed - this chain actually belonged to my mother when she was a young girl, given to her by my grandfather, her father. I am not even sure what the meaning of it signifies, but I am impressed by the depth of feeling you achieved around the gem, especially seeing as metal is easier for picking up emotions. Fifteen points for Hufflepuff, a very well-thought out response to the assignment.

[kilik]

Kilik sat back down and opened his book to the assigned chapter and opened his pouch slowly it contained a silver ring with a roughly cut diamond and closed his eyes concentrating on the ring feeling the emotions and the pictures flooding toward him.


While I was feeling the ring warmth and the feeling of joy spread over me like water I could not grasp it and i saw a silvery shape and the warmth and joy diminished compleatly and it was replaced by cold and then the shape became clear it was a cloud spitting out thunder and lightning and as I felt the stone every thing was turned to a milky white still whisper of wind in the background images of the past present and pictures of people laughter anger, joy, sadness lots of emotion, and then it ended leaving me with mixed thoughts, and then my mind cleared and i almost could bring back the pictures and memories.


Meralie -->
I am amazed by this. Despite being unable to distinctly hold on to any kind of image, it seems to me, as an experienced Seer, that you had a rather intense flood of emotion as you passed through the entire of this person's life. This is one of the rings I purchased secondhand for this particular lesson, so I am unsure of the story behind it, but I must say that I am surprised that one of my students is sensitive enough to recieve feelings from the past. Well done. Although this was astonishing, your single image was unclear, and your essay presentation could have done with a little tidying... so take seventeen points for Gryffindor House.

[Ribbon Valedrawn]

Ribbon walked as silently as possible up to the front of the room. She hated making any noise in a room with such a peaceful feeling. She decided to pick the velvet bag to the far left and thought as quietly as possible to herself about the old term for left, sinister. A whisper of a smile touched the edges of her lips thinking of herself as sinisterly inclined as a lefty. Almost forgetting her book as she turned around she leaned carefully over her shoulder and lightly picked the top one off the stack. She mentally shook her head at herself and returned just as quietly to her seat she set the pouch gently on the table to get her things organized before she began because if she had to riffle through her things before writing anything down she knew she would forget almost everything she saw, that is if she saw anything. She suddenly remembered her reservation on taking this class because she might see very little or almost nothing. She told herself off quickly and thought of other things so she didn’t begin to doubt herself anew.

Untying the thin drawstrings she delicately slid the piece out of its protective coverings. She discovered an intricately filigreed locket suspended on a burnished chain. It was silver, matching the chain, and spinning designs twisted back and forth over the circularly shaped face. Floating in it were three miniscule chips of glacier topaz, a deep, water-colored stone, and a small oval of opal was moored just off center, burning with blue and green fires. She took a moment to admire the dizzying design on its front and spun the locket deftly so she could see its smooth back. Engraved were the quiet words Ear'quessir, Ribbon couldn’t begin to imagine what they meant so she moved on to the inside. Looking closely at the edges she placed her fingernails carefully on the thin crevasse extending all the way around the outside and applied soft pressure. It clicked quietly upon being opened but it held nothing at all, simply smooth walls remained. She carefully closed it and began to empty her mind by thinking of a quiet darkness and carefully kept her mind on the absence of everything but the exquisite but empty locket. She finished and her mind traveled slowly back into reality to keep from disturbing the thoughts surrounding the necklace. She began her paper before the details could fade.

Ribbon Valedrawn
Slytherin
Psycometry Lesson

Filigree Locket
I carefully emptied my mind by thinking of a dark cave because emptying my mind always gives me more to think about. The locket in my mind had a very watery feel to it with just the lightest tang of salt, like the ocean but the salt seemed less important. A strong feeling of tides or waves seemed to simply wash over me and I largely got the sense that a lady, no doubt the owner of the locket, was of the element water. She was standing high above a sea but the pounding surf seemed slightly inferior to the overwhelming sense of being in a heavy tide. She was exalting in the feeling of being in control of herself and was obviously a strong personality with all the tendencies of the water house, changeability in mood, possessiveness, and ability to be whatever the moment calls for. Suddenly I seemed to get the sense that she was quite powerful in herself. This locket seems to have been her favorite adornment because of its symbolizing of her favorite place and seems to have been something she created herself although it is unclear about how that was done. That was all that I could perceive from the locket. I’m not entirely sure my overactive imagination wasn’t running away with me and that I made all of this up completely but I’m certainly hoping this has some correspondence with reality.

Ribbon rolled up the parchment, reverently placed the locket in its resting place and carried both things up to Professor Meralie's desk. As she set them down she gave an uncontious little nod, almost a tiny bow, to the figure behind the desk. She then walked preoccupied back to her own chair.


Meralie -->
Well done, another astute observation. This locket actually belonged to a water-sprite - although I bought it second-hand, a water sprite's jewellery is rare, so I was informed of it's unusual origins. The power you were feeling obviously comes from the sprite's water-based powers, and their possessiveness over the sea is also hinted at in your essay. I think you have a strong sense of Psychometry, and I strongly recommend that you continue with this subject. Nineteen points to Slytherin.

[Meralie]

Meralie smiled as a few students came and handed in their essays; some looking nervous, others looking preoccupied with what they had, presumably, just Seen.

Glancing at a couple of the essays, it was clear to Professor Meralie that a lot of the students in her class were very unsure of themselves. The hesitant sentences and almost desperate desire to have Seen something was painfully obvious, and it suddenly struck Meralie to inform them of something she probably should have mentioned at the start of the lesson.

"I should tell you, at this juncture," she began, interrupting the student's reverie with a quiet voice so as not to disturb the clairvoyant vibrations of the room, "that your work in this subject is not graded on how much or how clearly you can See. I understand that some of you will have a talent for it, and naturally you will be given the top marks; but those of you who are not naturally inclined towards this subject will be awarded according to how confidently you See, however small your visions are. I am here to encourage every single one of you, not single some out from the crowd."

With another smile, Meralie folded her arms across her lap and once more let her eyes flicker across the room from student to student.

[Mesutashi Niaku]

Mesutashi walked back to her seat with the black velvet pouch. She opened it slowly and pulled out a charm bracelet. Taking a deep breath she cleared her mind and focused all her senses on the bracelet. Suddenly MEsutashi was pulled in. It was much like when she'd take her sister's jewelry to find out what she'd been doing the night before. Her sister led an interesting life... Mesu could tell you that... Mesutashi smiled and even laughed lightly as she reached out to each charm and chain link.

Mesutashi Niaku
Slytherin
Psychometry
Charm Bracelet

This charm bracelet holds a lot of emotion. Almost all is extreme excitement and happiness. The emotion and picture that stood out most was taken from the heart charm and was of, possibly of the Irish country side, flying by at high speeds. I felt the wind on my face and I could hear it passing. I felt excited and scared at the same time. My guess would be that this bracelet belonged to a young girl at the time of her first broom ride. The one time I felt only fear and anger was when I touched the cat charm. I saw a blurred vision, so badly blurred in fact that I could only guess that there were many people there from the movement and colors. I felt fear of uncertainty, anger directed at someone's actions close to the girl, and resentment towards someone unrelated. The only event I can think of for these feelings and images is a divorce or custody trial. It also seems it was some time in summer or winter with the heat on high from the uncomfortable humid stickiness I could feel on my own skin that lingers even now.

Mesutashi placed the parchment and pouch on the desk before the teacher and sat back down.

Meralie -->
A very good reading indeed, although I must add that while you are searching for emotions within an object, you should be leaving your mind completely clear rather than trying to associate the images with something at the same time - this can sometimes lead to misplaced images, a cross-over between your own subconscious and that of the object at hand. 17 points.

[Jade Cross]

Jade squirmed uncomfortably in her Divination class. Not only was all the incense and warmth in the atmosphere stifling, but the cushion she sat on kept wanting to tilt her to the side, as if it too knew that she had no business in that class. Admittedly, this Auror was none too gifted in the art of Seeing. Sure, she was known to have an immensely keen empathy, but that was only with living things.

She undiscriminately chose a velvet pouch and looked at it appreciately, letting her fingers rub along the fabric. Jade was a sucker for velvet, especially maroon velvet, but black did the trick as well. Before she opened the pouch, she read over the assignment and nodded. Perhaps there was some hope. It had mentioned that empathy was useful and well, that gave the girl some hope as she opened her pouch...

Jade Cross ~ Ravenclaw
Psychometry

I'm afraid that I'm not much, if at all, a Seer, Professor. So I apologize if I somehow bungle this up and say something completely wrong about the owner of the gold and pearl broach I pulled out. When I held it in my hand, I felt and saw nothing. It was just a piece of jewelry, sitting in my hand, but the more I played with it, the more it began to feel warm. Not in the way metal naturally does as it absorbs body heat, but as if it were looking at me, giving me its attention. I Saw no images or smelled anything, but I did feel angst, nervousness, and a little anxiety. Yet there was this cool exterior coating it, as if whomever had worn the broach was trying to push down the feeling and putting on airs.


Meralie -->
Very good indeed, Jade! I sense that you are not accustomed to Seeing anything at all, but simply picking up on feeling is altogether an entire branch of Divination, and you have succeeded well at it. 16 points to Ravenclaw.

[Suzu Kanki]

Suzu was sitting idly, with the velvet pouch at a side of the desk. The fumes from the incense had made Suzu very sleepy, and she was fighting just to stay awake.

After a few minutes of spacing out, Suzu gently shook herself awake, then dived her left hand into the pouch. Before she even had taken the object out, Suzu began writing with her right hand.

Suzu Kanki
Slytherin
Psycometry Lesson

I know this might sound weird, but I got this weird flash when I touched the object. I guess I "saw" something, and it totally freaked me out because this has never happened before. All I saw was black... Nothingness. It made me sad and depressed at the same time. Then suddenly it was gone.

What was even weirder is that I knew what the object was before I pulled it out. It's a beautiful gold bell. I think it used to be on a bracelet, but it fell off.

After her furious writing spell, Suzu pulled out the item. It tinkled a she moved it. It was indeed a golden bell, and it looked like it had just been polished, most likely before the class.

[Kage]

Kage sat his desk for a couple minutes, staring at the black pouch in front of him. He sighed, No guts, no glory. and opened it, tipping the contents into his hand. A platinum ring rolled into his palm, but this wasnt your normal ring, it was an......engagement ring. Kage closed his hand around the ring and concentrated on it, and abruptly a flurry of images flew through his mind. He sat still for several minutes, sorting the images into a logical order. He then whipped out a quill and parchment, writing furiously.


Psychometry-Engagement Ring
Kage Akira
Slytherin


This ring is not a happy ring. When I concentrated my mind upon it, it told me its little story, at least, the story I believe it told me. It showed a young man in an expensive french restaurant, I knew it was french cause I saw the menu, kneeling before a beautiful woman. He proposed to her with this ring, and pledged his undying love for her. She denied him, saying she was in love with another man. Then it showed me the woman's wedding to said other man, and the man she had scorned staggering drunkenly down the aisle, calling the bride a filthy, cheating overly friendly lady, and he threw this ring at her. That is all the ring had to say.


Kage nodded to himself silently as he rolled it tightly, sliding the ring around it to hold it shut. He touched the rolled scroll to his forehead briefly, like a warrior would do to his sword before battle, before walking up to the teacher's desk and placing it there.

Meralie -->
Quite amazing that you should see so much, and two incidents from seperate time periods too! Most rare indeed. I feel perhaps you may have a talent for this, Kage. 20 points.

[Rose Arcana]

Prairie Rose sat in the fragrance filled room enjoying the dim lighting and the electricity that seemed to flow all around her. This was her first class, Divination was a subject she often wanted to delve in every since she started having illusive dreams a few years prior. With a smile upon her soft face she opened her book to read the assignment. She then proceeded to the front of the class to retrieve a velvet pouch from the desk. She really wanted to do well so she took her time choosing a pouch to use. She placed her hand on the bowl as she closed her eyes hoping for a sign directing her to the pouch she was meant to receive. She concentrated hard trying to gather any slight difference between the pouches but there was nothing. In the end she decided that she would just pick the one closest to the bottom, so she reached her hand all the way down pulling out the limp velvet pouch. With a smile towards the professor she went back to her seat to begin the assignment.

After reading the assigned text she opened the pouch to reveal an amulet. The amulet was made of silver and had a green stone with red speckles adorned in the center. There were silver snakes intertwined with the stone holding it into place. She could not think of a more perfect amulet for a student such as herself. She then took out her parchment preparing to write her observations.



Prairie Rose
Slytherin
Divination Assignment 1- Psychometry


This is my first time to actively attempt any form of divination but I have an open mind and tend to do my best to excel. The piece of jewelry from the pouch I picked is a silver and bloodstone amulet. The bloodstone is secured onto the amulet by silver snakes, a very beautiful piece of craftsmanship.

After I cleared my mind I picked up the amulet closing it tightly in my hand to observe any sensations that it may be holding. Oddly enough it felt slightly warm to the touch and I could feel a tingling sensation through my palm as I held it. I could see lights swirling in the distance as if a painter was making the bottom layers on a canvas that would soon contain a glorious work of art. More and more colors began to appear and a shape was taking form amongst the chaos of color.

I decided to concentrate on the section where the shape was taking form and as I did it became slightly clearer. It appeared to be a snake of some sort, origin unclear at first as it slithered closer becoming larger and larger. As it did I could see a definite color being set into place blanketing the serpent in an olive green as the eye slits opened revealing golden orbs. As I stared into the golden orbs of the serpent I could see what must have been the remnants of a playground. But it seemed so forbidding, unlike the typical playgrounds one would usually see.

On the merry-go-round sat a small girl cupping her knees to her chest with her head bent over laying gently upon them. Sitting beside her was the serpent wrapping his long body around the support bars of the playground ride. He seemed to be comforting her as he hissed and she cried. She seemed to understand the hissing of the snake as she talked back to him, but I could not hear what she was saying. Her voice seemed as though it was echoing through a tunnel and by the time it met my ears there was little left of it.

I tried to concentrate harder but as I did the serpent containing the seeing orbs backed away, retreating to the background of the painting once again. I didn’t want to give up yet so I searched the canvas again hoping to see some shred of realization. Then in the bottom corner came another image swirling into focus. It was a man with brown hair and hazel eyes wearing the Slytherin crest upon his lapel. The image shocked me and I almost lost contact. I held the amulet closer to my chest squeezing it tighter in my hands. Slowly the image came back as I pleaded with it not to leave. Oddly enough he seemed to know I was looking at him as he gave me what appeared to be a warning glare before he gently shook his head and gazed over his shoulder.

I followed his gaze immediately as I saw another figure coming into focus amongst the clouds of color. It was a tapestry baring the same snake as before, but it was doing battle. The tapestry soon faded back into the scenery again as the man looked back at me as if he expected me to answer him. I said nothing which apparently did not please him because he immediately turned to walk away as the entire canvas became black once again and the amulet turned cold in my hands.

Now for trying to interpret any of this I could not even began. I know I saw definite things, and I felt I was meant to see them, but I cant gather what they all mean. The girl crying did have red hair similar to mine but she was older than me and it was clear it wasn’t me. The snake was a very large one and if it was the same as the snake that showed me the vision then it was just a baby as it sat by the girl. The snake in the tapestry was also the same one and the man seemed to be a guide, although impatient to say the least. I believe that the Slytherin crest on his lapel was there so I would trust him. All in all I would say that the previous owner of this amulet had a fascination for snakes, and suffered a great loss for which perhaps the snake was trying to avenge during battle.

I tried really hard on this assignment and I hope that at least a part of it is a sign that I have some slight gift in the area of divination. Thank you for allowing me to attempt to read this beautiful amulet and I look forward to learning a great deal this year in your class.
[/b]

Prairie Rose took her assignment up to the professor with a worried look on her face. Divination was a very subjective subject and she really hoped to do well.


Meralie -->
Congratulations on not being afraid to go into much detail, my dear... Still... this is impressive work, though I am confused by a lot of it as this particular object came from a small girl who sold it to me in the market - but I suppose it could have been a family heirloom of some kind before it was ever laid in her hands. 19 points to Slytherin.

[Silver]

Silver smiled at Professor Meralie as she took a small velvet pouch from the bowl with trembling hands. She knew, was convinced, that she was absolutely useless at Divination. Where most people had a trace of the Third Eye, she had nothing. Simply being in this class was reducing her to a nervous wreck.

Taking her seat next to a confident-looking Slytherin, she removed a fine silver chain from her bag, from which hung a tiny sliver of what looked like a Tiger's Eye gem. Sighing, she closed her eyes and held the chain in her hands, trying to pick up on the... sensations, or vibrations, or whatever it was called.

Nothing.

Opening one eye, she saw that many other students were scribbling down their answers - some looking preoccupied, some looking happy, and a handful who looked as worried as Silver now felt. She closed her eye once more, and began to feel around the necklace with her fingers.

Still nothing.

About to give up, Silver reached for the velvet pouch, wondering how mad Meralie might be if she handed in some parchment with 'Nothing' written on it. Suddenly, a strange feeling hit Silver in the pit of her stomach, rising in her, an almost nauseating feeling, before it disappeared completely. Silver's eyes flew to her hand that was clutched over the necklace. She had actually sensed something!

Not caring that it was nothing much, Silver gleefully began to write a few paragraphs, trying to explain what it was she had felt.

Psychometry by Silver Stillwater, Hufflepuff Student

I was very doubtful about my abilities in this subject, having never so much as had a glimmer of anything outside myself before. I spent about fifteen minutes feeling the necklace, recieving nothing at all, and was about to give up when a strange feeling sort of began in my body, starting in the pit of my stomach before rising upwards and upwards, touching my heart and feeling like it was squeezing it or something before it reached my throat, where it died and went away.

I was glad it left me, as it was not a good feeling. I can't say I know what it was, because it was quite intense and not my own feeling - but it gripped my entire body... I think perhaps I even had a distant feeling that I was going to die from it, it hurt so much. I suppose perhaps the feeling was unhappiness, or being hurt generally? It was unusual, but has definitely encouraged me to continue with this subject despite my earlier inhibitions.

Silver handed in her assignment, feeling alarmingly good despite what she had just felt, and returned the necklace to the bowl.


Meralie -->
I am glad that you have now seen the power that lies in Divination, my dear! Though you may not be particularly apt at this subject, it just goes to show that it does not matter - everybody has some sixth sense. I award 15 points to Hufflepuff for this essay.

[Kalista(Retired)]

Kalista walked up to the desk and plucked a velvet bag from the basket and then returned tp her seat. She took out the item and set upon her desk.

A small trinket, a ring with an onyx stone, the color of her eyes sat looking at her. Soon, she closed her eyes, emptying her mind of all things, even the sounds of the other students scribbling lines on their parchment she let drain from her mind. Then, she ran her finger lightly about the ring.

My observation

Kalista Karador, Slytherin

Well, to begin with, the ring is absolutely beautiful, but I am sure you already know this. At first, the only sensation I could come up with was a smell. The smell of flowers to be exact, a lot of flowers like when one is in an enclosed room where a florist has just dropped off several flower arrangements. But then, another sense, one of a saddened closeness, perhaps a feeling one would feel at a funeral or wake. I can not be certain of course as I am not an expert, but I also got the feeling of despair, like my heart had been torn out and stomped on.

Next, I did indeed see a small child, running along a red carpet, he ran past several pews, perhaps in a church? Once again, I cannot be certain, it could have been a courthouse too.

Well, that was all I was able to receive from this tiny trinket, as beautiful and precious as it is, I would not want to wear it as it brings, to me at any rate, a great sadness.

Kalista put her quill down then after shaking off the sad feeling and setting the ring back in the pouch, she took both that and her paper then set in on the desk and returned to her seat.

Meralie -->
This ring actually belonged to my older sister - and I suppose you are recalling our mother's funeral. She would have only been eight years old at the time. A very good reading and interpretation. 19 points.

[Sarah Evans]

Sarahs bad sat infront of her on her desk. her tiny fingers opened the bag and before she knew it, she seemed to be in a whole different room.


Evans, Sarah

Ravenclaw



As i opened the pouch, this smell of warm bread came rushing towards my nose. i was so hungry. i leaned in to look into the pouch and there was a whole other world.

i stepped down from the steps of the little church building and headed towards i dont know where. there on the ground though was a small object shinning in the moonlight. it must have been about four in the morning. because most stores dont have fresh bread at night right. thats what i thought. so i went on. i picked up the small object. a ring. someone lost a ring! i looked around, though it wasnt helping it was dark and it was late at night. who would be stupid enough to be up at this hour in this town. where was i anyway i thought.

I looked at the small ring, it was silver band. it actually looked similar to one that i used to own. it was lost years ago while swiming at nanas house.

i fingered the ring a bit and it began to become hot i dropped it. The silver ring began to roll down the cobblestone street and towards the lovely smell of bread.

The smell grew stronger and the ring grew slower with every bump of the street. it finally came to rest infront of the smell that i had been smelling through out my trip.

The ring seemed to know where it was going. I opened the door to the little building and saw ooddles and gobs of cakes and cookies that lined the shelves.

then i saw a woman. she turned to greet me. it was me.

what does that mean exactly. why would this ring that i had not seen in years and that i had worn for many years before that now let me see its past or is it a future? i dont quite understand.


She slipped the ring onto her middle finger and stepped to the desk and placed her notes down.


Meralie -->
I am forced to conclude that you do not take my subject very seriously; either that or you are simply trying to show off when all I am asking is for you to do the assignment like everybody else is. Despite popular belief, this is a difficult class, but the work I ask you to do is not too difficult for even the most mundane of minds to grasp. For this mockery of an essay you recieve no points, and I strongly suggest that from now on your do what is asked, and no more.