Beginning Arithmancy: Lesson 1

[Rebecca Davenport]

Becca had opened the classroom early in anticipation of the eager young arithmancers ready to start a new school year. As she wandered around the room, straightening a chart here, replacing a book on the shelf there, she considered the possibilities of the group that was about to enter. Some years she lucked out and got a bright and inquisitive class. Other years, the dunderheads couldn't even tell her that Arithmancy had numbers.

Arithmancy was obviously not her most favorite subject, but definitely ranked up there among her top five. She had taken the position temporarily at first, but had gotten so used to taking up the lessons that she now thought nothing of taking the double load.

Finishing with her set-up, she took a seat behind her desk, propped her feet up and opened her book. The students would enter soon but she wanted to finish her chapter first.

[Jeremy Taylor]

When signing up for electives, there had been no question as to what Jeremy wanted to take. Arithmancy was a no-brainer for him. He was pretty good in math, had all of Drew and Allegra's notes from when they had taken the class, and it was taught by his Head of House. On top of that, there was no wand waving which meant he might actually have a shot at passing the class.

Excited over his first lesson, he shuffled through the door and slumped into a seat. Professor Davenport was behind her desk, but she looked busy so Jeremy decided not to disturb her by saying hello. Instead, he took out his book and sat low in his seat, his nose barely clearing the desk. If no one saw him, no one would call on him to answer questions.

[Trixi Turner]

Choosing subjects for some students was easy. For Trixi, it was a little harder. She didn't know what half the subjects that were up to be electives were. Which, really didn't do well for the poor girl. However the youngster had been in contact with an old wizard throughout the holidays and her contact with him had helped her make at least one of the decisions. The others well she just chose them for the name. The had ended up with three, ancient runes, divination and, arithmancy. Okay so ancient runes sounded cool, she had been told divination used the globes which she had already acquired one of before the previous school year ended so that was a no brainer for Trix, arithmancy was the only one she really wasn't too sure about. She ahd decided against care of magical creatures, because she spent alot of time at home caring for animals, she didn't feel like caring for them while at school too.

Trixi walked into the classroom unsure of what to come. She didn't really even know what this subject was about, or for that matter, who else was in it. However Trixi smiled as her eyes skimmed the room. Jeremy. Although he was hiding, Trixi was able to see the top of his head, therefore, he was spotted. He seemed like a pretty smart kid to Trixi, and she liked him, purely as a mutual companion from the first night they met. That meant she at least knew someone in this classroom.

Trixi headed across the classroom and took a seat next to Jeremy. "Hey Jeremy!" she said to him. She paid no attention to the professor in the room for the moment, she wasn't talking just yet so it seemed unnecessary to speak to her.

[Brenton Douglas]

Telling the future was all Brenton really wanted to do. Divinations and Arithmancy would give him all the advice and knowledge he would need later in life. Divinations was the teaching of future through opening the mind, and Arithmancy was telling the future through numbers, or so he'd read in the library when researching the two subjects. Besides, Jeremy was taking the class too so it'd be great fun at least having a mate to bag about the class with if it wasn't too great.

Taking his time from the boy's loo, Brenton stretched his legs from heel to toe on his feet to get to class. And when he entered, right behind a little blonde, his stomach sunk. Miss. Trixie was in the class too? Unfair.

And what was worse was she took a seat beside Jeremy and Brent couldn't leave his best mate hanging there alone. Damn her and her tricky ways.

Bee lining straight for the other side of Jeremy, Brenton somewhat through his bag on the floor and mumbled a greeting to his friend before digging out a notebook, trying not to look over at the Slytherin girl.

[Jeremy Taylor]

When Trixi sat down next to him, Jeremy sank down even farther, wishing he had been late to class instead of the first one. That way, he could pick a seat far far away from everyone and he wouldn't have to worry about people sitting near him.

Fortunately, Brenton came in soon after and took the seat on the other side. In part, it was good, feeling like he had a mate who had his back, but on the other hand, he felt blocked in and surrounded. Next time, he'd remember to sit by the wall instead of near the center. He desperately hoped the class would start soon, if only to keep him distracted from the slight claustrophobia he was feeling.

[Trixi Turner]

Trixi wasn't at all phased by Jeremy not responding to her greeting, she had a feeling he didn't like her, which also didn't really phase her. Although she did wonder why, she had never been mean to him and had always backed him up. It was probably the fact that she didn't know why he might not like her that kept her being friends with him, that and the fact he sided with her on their first night at Hogwarts and so she was always going to side with him.

Trixi did smile slightly however as Douggy entered the room and joined them, sitting on the opposite side of Jeremy. "Hiya Douggy, howsit hangin'?" Trixi asked him, switching to very colloquial speach just for this instance. Trixi knew Douggy tried to be noble and all high and mighty and as she was already bored she decided it would be fun to see how he would respond to that question, if he would respond at all.

[Rebecca Davenport]

The bell chimed the start of class and Becca snapped her book shut. As she put the volume aside, she looked up, surveying the class with an expression of being slightly amused to actually find students in front of her. The class was small like many of her others, but that didn't concern her, and with a contented sigh, she composed herself and got started.

"Good day class. This is Beginning Arithmancy," she started. "We'll begin with what you already know about the subject. That way, I don't have to bore you by going over it again, do I? So let's hear it. Any tidbits you already know? Or perhaps even why you chose this as one of your electives?"

[Jeremy Taylor]

Jeremy looked around the class, surveying the room and its occupants from desk level. The professor had asked a question and the others in the room seemed unsure about how to answer it. Jeremy really wasn't much of an exception. Though he had the notes Drew had given him, the young Ravenclaw wasn't about to admit to his head of house that he had chosen the class because his older cousin had given him a notebook full of answers. He might have gone for an answer of the other question, but he really didn't want his Head of House to notice him and he really didn't want Brenton to think he was a know it all kiss butt. In the end, he looked down at his notes, hoping that avoiding eye contact would be the best way to stay under the radar.

[Trixi Turner]

Trixi saw the professor move and speak, but at the womans question Trixi too stayed quiet. She didn't have a clue what Arithmancy was or what it was about. The only reason Trixi had chose it was because the old man she had been writing to over the break told her she should do it. He had bought her a globe and they had been in correspondance with each other. He was strange, but Trixi had taken a liking to him. Although his opinion of her may not have been the same. But Trixi couldn't really raise her hand and say 'some old guy who's been sending me letters told me to do it', aside from making the relationship between her and the guy rather quite conspicuous, it also sounded stupid.

Anyway, she was a slytherin and didn't answer questions anyway, so it made no point to start answering them now, escpeially when no-one else in the room was answering them. So Trixi just kept looking idly towards the professor, wondering if no-one answered wether she would just continue with the lesson.

[Rebecca Davenport]

So no one knew anything. Professor Davenport gave a long and frustrated sigh as she faced the dunderheads sitting in her class. Great Goblins, they couldn't even respond that the class was about numbers. Not a one of them could say why they chose to take it. What was she in for?

"So, you are telling me that you've signed up for a class knowing absolutely nothing about it?" she asked sternly. Were they that unintelligent? Did they really have that little respect for their own education. Were they that dull as to pick elective classes at random?

"Very well!" she said sharply. "Arithmancy is a branch of magic that is concerned with the magical properties of numbers. Someone who practices Arithmancy is called an Arithmancer. The name Arithmancy is derived from two Greek words – arithmos (meaning number) and manteia (meaning divination). It is most commonly thought of as the study of divination through numbers, but more recently has earned a much broader definition." She paused and glared over her glasses at the class. They better be writing this down.