September Class Highlights (so far)

C l a s s H i g h l i g h t s !

Alright all you lions, snakes, eagles and badgers, here are the class highlights for the first two weeks of classes (it's two weeks because I honestly had the hardest time choosing projects to highlight because you have all done such wonderful work lately. I stared at projects for ages choosing.)

Flying
After a spectacular demonstration by the professors of various flying techniques, the students were given the chance to test one of these techniques out themselves, and it seems that everyone is a natural on a broomstick! I myself, will keep my feet firmly planted on the ground and stare in amazement as they zoom by. While everyone has done a spectacular job, I couldn't help but continuously be drawn to a certain Slytherin whose flying technique was just superb. Gnomenapper showed off her abilities with this Angler fish, and though she only had to show a minimum of three techniques, she used a wopping nine. It was well worth the effort put into it, that's for sure.



Transfiguration
Transfiguration has spent a lot of time this term focusing on the basics, so we've begun by re-introducing the simple task of turning beetles into buttons. Quite a handy spell, especially if you have a bug infestation at your house. Anyway, students have been turning in their homework left and right and, as usual, it's all brilliant. Which made this decision one of the most difficult, but this week Hufflepuff Evucis' lovely sweater for her beautiful little girl stood out. I hope she loves the sweater, Evucis!

Potions
Everyone needs a little bit of beauty in their life and this month's potions assignment works to do just that, and it has succeded. Every page I was confronted with so many beautiful projects that I didn't know where to start! In the end I have to admit that I was a sucker for people's hand dyed (non-toxic) yarns, this week. Especially that of first year Slytherin yarnandcookies. The blues and purples worked so well together and it was just so pretty I kept going back to stare at it.

Charms

Charms class this term is certainly exciting. Not many people get to go on field trips to Gringotts, mind you. As such, students were asked to create their own security items, or items you would wear to rob a bank, not that any of Hogwarts' students would do that at all. The turn out for the field trip was fantastic and the assignments have been no different. Creativity can take you far in this class, but the reason that Hufflepuff JMN stood out was more her story. It takes a caring person to think about someone else, especially if that person is not family. To think of knitting for her husband's host's wife is so sweet, and the mitts she knit are just gorgeous. I really hope she loves them.

Defense Against the Dark Arts

Disguises take a lot of work and I can honestly say that it takes a dedicated person to pull off a full fledged disguise. However, Ravenclaw Brineydeep and Hufflepuff Pacasha disguised themselves as each other so well that I had to look back a few times to figure out which was which! That takes a lot of work, and I felt that that needed to be highlighted. Plus their Elijah's were simply adorable!

History of Magic
Hogwarts castle is among the most magical buildings in the world. Nothing is ever the same in Hogwarts and magic is abound there (and not just because it's a school for magic either). So this month students were asked to pick a magical structure in Hogwarts and craft for it. Everyone chose great structure, but one student, OfAvalonia of Gryffindor, choose to look at something that is oftentime overlooked, the floating candles in the Great Hall. Her hanging luminaries are a beautiful tribute to the simple, yet extremely magical candles that give students the light they need in the Great Hall.

Herbology

Protection is extremely important when working in any garden, more so in the gardens of Hogwarts, what with the fanged geraniums, venomous tentecula and other things that can bite you and your equipment. Which is why protective items are so essential and this month's homework assignment. Everyone's lost something at one point or another, and we always wish that we'd had something to hold the item so we hadn't. Well, Hufflepuff has solved her problem of lost stitch markers with her handy dandy holder. It's useful and protects not only her stitch markers, but her sanity so she doesn't go crazy trying to remember where they are. (Bonus points in this blogger's book for the Ron Weasley markers that I may be slightly in love with).

Arithmancy
Math is not a strong suit of many Hogwarts students, me among them. There's a reason I write for the blog. Numbers and I don't mix. So it's nice to see the refresher of those trick numbers in Arithmancy this month. Now I'll admit, of all the math I don't like, the one I do enjoy is geometry. This may or may not have to do with the fact that I need to know geometry for my major (scenic designers/builders have to do a lot of geometry). Anyway, I digress. Elliefants of Gryffindor seems to also have a soft spot for geometry because her traveling woman scarf is a prime example of the triangle. I also have to admit I'm in awe that she finished it so quickly.

All of this month's projects so far are simply fantastic, and I have to admit I love the job of posting the highlights because I get too look over everyone's work in all the classes. It puts a smile on my face everytime I do it, because everyone is just so talented, even if that talent does make my job so much more difficult!