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Aug. 6th, 2014 07:54 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alt_sinistraReading back through things, clearly it'd help to know what resources I have.
Astronomy and research: Besides the obvious (stars, locational and chronological magics, navigation) astronomy is the art of patterns, understanding the unseen through observation of the barely visible. It is a more broadly useful skill than most people realise.
My projection stones are likely useless for your needs, but the research that went into them might not be. I keep up with various subfields of Arithmancy, Charms, and Runes, and I spent a recent year researching some of the charms and magics built into Hogwarts.
Defence: My husband and I spent a great deal of time on the topic, both theory and practice, including discussion of his own training and those of others on the Council. We particularly focused on warding, personal protections and on thinking through possible situations. Turns out there's only so much preparation of what-ifs one can do. Apparently.
My spaces at Hogwarts are rather obsessively warded, and I created and use charmed items to tell me who is on the Astronomy tower.
Practical resources: One absurdly large and empty house in New London, though uncomfortably close to both Buckingham and St James Palace. The garden was replanted in the last year and includes a rosa incantatus (useful for some potions, I gather) and a poison garden (ditto). Two house-elves, insufficiently occupied. A space for full-out duelling practice. Money I'd not mind finding a good use for.
I have a solid library for my field and access to others, and am a full Master in my guild (with all the rank, privilege, obligations and annoyances thereof). Various items, protective and otherwise.
Connections: I am not naturally socially adept, and use a method my research mentor taught me to keep detailed notes on people I might deal with professionally and socially (time and labour intensive, but effective). My notes cover my Guild, former YPL and Ministry contacts, and those who moved in the same social circles as my husband. They include family background, professional credentials and associations, topics to bring up and avoid, and sometimes other things.
Through the YPL work and circumstance, I have acquired an odd collection of acquaintances and sometimes friends. In particular, Tosha - Antonin Dolohov - has been very good to me. I understand this is extremely complicated for many of you, with excellent reason. More on him below.
Other skills: I'm a decent cook, have some basic training for managing injuries, not horrible on a broom, and I'm normally (but not at the moment) a strong apparator at distance, comfortable working from coordinates. A variety of household and family magics, though Mum is much better at all of them. I do have the habit of thinking through possible challenges and solutions in advance. Perhaps obsessively.
I am fluent in English, German, and Latin. Enough wizarding Arabic to make private comments to Tosha in staff meetings (and translate astronomy) and enough Welsh to order beer and complain about the weather. Other subjects, I'd need vocabulary help.
You should not rely on my ability to identify a plant, take the floo, proof my own arithmantic calculations, deal with sudden change, or do anything complicated between about dawn and noon.
Finally: I miss my husband a very great deal. My stamina, my focus, my magic, and my ability to have a coherent conversation remain unpredictable, though Poppy and others assure me there's steady improvement.
I'm sure there may be questions. I'll do my best to answer.
Astronomy and research: Besides the obvious (stars, locational and chronological magics, navigation) astronomy is the art of patterns, understanding the unseen through observation of the barely visible. It is a more broadly useful skill than most people realise.
My projection stones are likely useless for your needs, but the research that went into them might not be. I keep up with various subfields of Arithmancy, Charms, and Runes, and I spent a recent year researching some of the charms and magics built into Hogwarts.
Defence: My husband and I spent a great deal of time on the topic, both theory and practice, including discussion of his own training and those of others on the Council. We particularly focused on warding, personal protections and on thinking through possible situations. Turns out there's only so much preparation of what-ifs one can do. Apparently.
My spaces at Hogwarts are rather obsessively warded, and I created and use charmed items to tell me who is on the Astronomy tower.
Practical resources: One absurdly large and empty house in New London, though uncomfortably close to both Buckingham and St James Palace. The garden was replanted in the last year and includes a rosa incantatus (useful for some potions, I gather) and a poison garden (ditto). Two house-elves, insufficiently occupied. A space for full-out duelling practice. Money I'd not mind finding a good use for.
I have a solid library for my field and access to others, and am a full Master in my guild (with all the rank, privilege, obligations and annoyances thereof). Various items, protective and otherwise.
Connections: I am not naturally socially adept, and use a method my research mentor taught me to keep detailed notes on people I might deal with professionally and socially (time and labour intensive, but effective). My notes cover my Guild, former YPL and Ministry contacts, and those who moved in the same social circles as my husband. They include family background, professional credentials and associations, topics to bring up and avoid, and sometimes other things.
Through the YPL work and circumstance, I have acquired an odd collection of acquaintances and sometimes friends. In particular, Tosha - Antonin Dolohov - has been very good to me. I understand this is extremely complicated for many of you, with excellent reason. More on him below.
Other skills: I'm a decent cook, have some basic training for managing injuries, not horrible on a broom, and I'm normally (but not at the moment) a strong apparator at distance, comfortable working from coordinates. A variety of household and family magics, though Mum is much better at all of them. I do have the habit of thinking through possible challenges and solutions in advance. Perhaps obsessively.
I am fluent in English, German, and Latin. Enough wizarding Arabic to make private comments to Tosha in staff meetings (and translate astronomy) and enough Welsh to order beer and complain about the weather. Other subjects, I'd need vocabulary help.
You should not rely on my ability to identify a plant, take the floo, proof my own arithmantic calculations, deal with sudden change, or do anything complicated between about dawn and noon.
Finally: I miss my husband a very great deal. My stamina, my focus, my magic, and my ability to have a coherent conversation remain unpredictable, though Poppy and others assure me there's steady improvement.
I'm sure there may be questions. I'll do my best to answer.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 12:01 pm (UTC)I am quite clear he's done a number of horrible things. And I'm not going to defend that. At all.
But I do think he is the best Headmaster Hogwarts could have at the moment. I am convinced he will do the best he is allowed to, for the school, students, and staff. (Allowed, mind, is a very relevant word.)
I trust him to the extent his oaths allow (and I am fully aware how sharp those edges might be) and he trusts me. He and I have the habit of spending Friday evenings talking (about a number of topics, including research and various projects) and I expect that to continue in some form. He's encouraged me to tell him immediately if I think he's doing something that might harm students, and he's been very quick to solve issues once they're pointed out.
There are any number of things I might ask that could be helpful, and where he would not be suspicious as long as I had some reason. I'd be glad to entertain a list.
He is very, very sharp, and exceedingly observant. I never forget that. But I also never forget what he's done for me, what he's helped me with, or his friendship.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:05 pm (UTC)Stephen Rosier was very much a mentor to Tosha when he was younger, and that carries on down to Finnigan. I think Tosha will give him as much leeway and guidance as he can, and maybe it'll do enough good.
Patil - he was furious with her, about Dean Thomas. And he knows both of them have had a tendency to misuse the power they have, to the detriment of others, in the past, because I told him (including that matter with Katrina Bundy the first CCF year.)
We'll put it this way. I'm planning to move back to my old rooms, just past the stairs to the Astronomy tower. I've already explicitly asked him to do the wards on that hallway for me, and mentioned them as a concern in particular, and he immediately saw (and agreed with) my point.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 12:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 01:00 pm (UTC)I found learning Latin rather more distressing, originally - I had to learn how to learn a language, and all the things I certainly wasn't taught about how English works as a language, that make such a difference when you learn a new one. I know that one of Tosha's plans for this year is sorting out tutoring for people who want to learn Latin or Greek, for example, which would be easier starts.
But it's very satisfying, as things start to click together. And yes, very useful for Astronomy - there's quite a few texts that haven't been translated properly. (There are dozens of dialects, though, for Arabic, and I've only been focusing on the one, really.)
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 03:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:28 pm (UTC)I know a few people who read Hebrew, though it's always seemed quite a complex language and one so heavily anchored in a cultural and religious context (and I admit, one mostly not relevant to my particular academic interests.)
I'd hesitate to try and teach you the Arabic - I'm still nothing like sufficiently fluent for my standards - but if you want to look at my notes, you'd be welcome.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 06:20 pm (UTC)If your mother or another family member is willing to provide hair for Polyjuice I would greatly appreciate the chance to inspect the gardens myself, perhaps with Mr Longbottom as assistant.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:25 pm (UTC)It's actually easy enough to set the wards to obscure the garden from the entry to Green Park. The complication at the moment is my being at Spence to allow anyone else in. Next week, perhaps? I'm resigning myself to the necessity of several floo journeys, both to Spence and to Hogwarts that really need to happen in the next week or two.
I'm sure Mum would be glad to lend some hair, if that'd reassure, as well, and of course Mr Longbottom would be quite welcome, or whoever else might be interested. (Pomona's quite aware of what I've got too, naturally.)
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 07:56 pm (UTC)The Spence end is mostly adjusting the wards, now I'm better able. I don't plan to sleep there this summer, and all the things I actually use regularly were at Hogwarts to start.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 08:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 08:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 08:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-06 08:53 pm (UTC)Right. Pocket lecture. When they put the wards up, it affected a lot of the calculations for locational magic. Most of the time it doesn't matter much, but if you're trying to go from one place to another, it especially does.
And the first set of wards, in 83, affected different places differently, so between 85 and 87 they had several people go through and do really thorough calibration measurements. (I did Wales, it's why my Welsh is largely useful in pubs. It takes forever to do a complete survey.)
My best guess is that the rite eighteen months ago did something similar, but I don't know if it's a general offset, or something that's affected by other variables. (Like the amount of local magic in the area, nearby ley lines, and so on.)
Normally, the measurement tables would get filed with my Guild, but I don't think they were this last time. (I can ask.) If not, it's possible to do the measurements, but of course you'd have to do it for the places you wanted to go to, individually.
Beyond that, I've no idea if MLE's put anything in place that might affect things or cause an alert: portkeys are unusual enough as a kind of magic they'd be possible to identify by signature, yes?