Meteors and exams

[alt_sinistra]

First, no assignment, but the Draconid meteor showers peak tonight and tomorrow - and due to the new moon, they should be especially visible. It looks likely to stay clear tonight, but I’m less confident about the rest of the week so come look tonight if you'd like to. (Fifth years, feel free to come up early if you like: I'll have things open around 11.)

Exams
Alas, the forecast for next week is rather dire. Rather than keep everyone up late in the hopes of a clear sky, I am planning to use the projection stones for my exams. This also means you can all get a bit more sleep. Please be at my classroom at 8:55pm on your usual night. My NEWT students, please see below.

Office hours
For those of you with last minute questions, I will have office hours on Sunday afternoon from 2-5:30pm and next Tuesday from 7-8:45pm, as well as my usual Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

My NEWT students
Sixth and seventh years: this year, I’d like to gather you all in my office on the Friday night (the 21st) at 10pm. In lieu of an exam, please be prepared to give a 2-3 minute summary of your topic to everyone present, and to submit a copy of your current research notes. (Full review will need to wait for January, but if you have questions that affect your research or reading plans for the holidays, please ask.) And of course, our Friday gathering will have the usual seasonal round of treats and conversation. We should be done by midnight, to make it easier for you all to get off promptly in the morning on the train.

For those of you who can get to New London, I am seeing if I can arrange a short tour of the Astronomy Guild and its library. Scheduling may prove too challenging, but if you are interested, please let me know which of January 2nd, 3rd, or 4th you might be available (daytimes only.)

Comments

Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_sinistra]

Cedric -

I realise the NEWT gathering will be a little awkward, but I do hope you’ll bear with it. (And I don’t think there’ll be a great deal of purely social time to manage.)

And I do have a little something for you, in particular, beyond the usual token to my newts. Would you rather come collect it from me, or should I leave it in the tower workspace for you? (You’re welcome to keep on in there, of course, when we come back.)

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_cedric]

As long as the topic stays on astronomy everything should be fine.

I'll come up the next chance I can grab when I know you won't be busy. I have an idea for a little bit of end of term fun I would like to run by you before I get anyone else involved.

I won't have your gift until after Hogsmeade.

Re: Private message to Cedric Diggory

[alt_sinistra]

Don't worry, we will stick to astronomy. Or at least, related topics.

And I'll look for you. (End of term fun also sound like the right sort of thing.)

There's no need for a gift, you know that. (As I keep saying, what I want is attention in class, and you have never let me down there.) That said, there's a pleasure in finding the right thing, isn't there? (which is what lead to yours.)

Right. Mr Moon is done with the current piece of work he's doing for me. On to the next step.

Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_sinistra]

I feel like I haven’t seen either of you to talk to properly for ages. Supper does not count, and especially not if Dolores is hanging on every word. Any chance of a little time this weekend? It’d also give me an excuse to explain your presents, which are in both cases a promise of things to come.

Also, Pomona: many thanks for putting me on to that contact of yours about trees for Mum - I think we’ve finally sorted out just the things to arrange to add to her orchard, and he’s actually very curious about whether they’ll do well given her layout and the drainage.

(And! He had a contact for a rose I know she doesn’t have and will be in tears over - the Surpasse Tout. I know you think it’s absurd I manage to keep roses straight and nothing else, but I swear it’s her garden’s doing. Anyway, quite the find as it’s an old variety, and not at all common, but it was Nana’s favourite, and she lost Nana’s last bush in the winter of 83.)

At any rate: I do want to have office hours Sunday afternoon, but either Saturday after Hogsmeade or Sunday early evening would do nicely for me. Or Friday for tea at 4?

Re: Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_poppy]

Friday or Sunday would be better for me than Saturday. It's a sad but reliable fact that someone always returns from Hogsmeade ill. Generally it's either Honeydukes' fault or Rosmerta's, but occasionally it's something more dire.

Re: Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_poppy]

Of course, I ought to have said: I've missed our talks and will be most pleased if we can find a time to be together.

And you're quite right. Supper does not count, even were Dolores Umbridge not a factor.


Surpasse Tout roses? My mother and aunt kept them. I hadn't thought of them in ages!

Re: Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_sinistra]

Friday, then? I've missed talking too. And you've been so amazingly busy, so it's with good reason, but.

As to the roses, yes. They got quite rare for a while in there, did you know? They were always Nana's favourites, and - well, I still have the owl where Mum wrote the last bush she had died. And they've got such an incredible scent.

(Actually, I think it's the scent that made me learn the roses properly in the first place. The route from my room to my favourite observing spot at home was best done through Mum's rose garden, and if I crushed something in the dark, I'd be in deep trouble in the morning.)

Re: Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_pomona]

I can certainly come Friday. And you're both quite right about supper.

Roses, really? I knew you were better with them than most green things (not that that says much, as we both know), but you should have told me that when you were struggling with Herbology. We might have made some use out of it. I suppose that's the reason you were so insistant on a few roses for the wedding, even though it's early season for most varieties?

At any rate, I'm glad the introduction was of use. Hard to put a tree under the tree, as it were, but I suppose that's the advantage of being a grown up, and enjoying a pleasure delayed.

Re: Private message to Poppy and Pomona

[alt_sinistra]

Yes, on the roses.

Though, clearly, I have not caught you up on the saga of the florist, nor her idea for centrepieces that would like to take over the world. Or at least block every clear line of sight in the place, and I am having none of that.

We will be juggling quite enough touchy personalities (and I do not just mean on Raz's side of the equation: some of my own astronomy colleagues are less likely to pull a wand, but perhaps more likely to throw a very public fit if offended) and I am not giving anyone the chance to be surprised from behind a pot of calla lilies or whatever the last round was.

Why does no one take my "No, really, as simple as we can get away with?" seriously? (Never mind. I know the answer to that. It's hard to do simple really well, and it doesn't show off any of their skills to gain hordes of new clients. Anyway. I think I've won the round with the florist, but we'll have to keep checking on it.)

Private message to Storm Sinistra

[alt_sinistra]

Best brother -

Thanks for meeting me yesterday. They look perfect, and especially the very last minute addition. (However did you manage to get the decoration done between Sunday night and yesterday?) And the cards are excellently descriptive, thank you. We’ll just have to work out the scheduling.

On your question, since you got called away after all...

Mum’s made it clear she and Dad would love to have both of us for Christmas Day and Raz is quite agreeable. But of course, if we get an invitation elsewhere, it would be the politic thing to go elsewhere. I’m going to send all my presents ahead, just in case. (And forgive me in advance for spoiling your daughter. She's just at the age where it gets really fun.)

Up through New Year's is going to be busy, but I might manage an afternoon with you between then and coming back here. We'll see? Much love to all three of you.