Lovely lovely package :D

The post we've all been waiting for~ the contents of my package! :D

My extremely awesome spoiler, Ophelia Crookshanks of Gryffindor, really outdid herself with this package! As soon as I opened the box, I was greeted with the sight of a lovely parcel wrapped in tissue paper and blue ribbon. I was so excited that I tore into it right away before I thought to take a photo. XD Then I remembered the camera, and this is what I saw!


Ophelia had wrapped each of the items in their own tissue wrapping and ribbon~ it was like opening a dozen presents in one! :D Right away I was completely in love with the bag~ it has a knitted front panel, and the rest of the bag is quilted/sewn together. It looks absolutely gorgeous! I intend to use this bag as my purse, or for something so that I can carry it around with me all the time. ^^ A close up of the knitted panel on the front:


And here's a picture of the rest of the goodies, opened and laid out together! Just look at all the wonderful things that Ophelia has sent me!


Ophelia really outdid herself! Along with the bag, she sent me:

• a gorgeous hank of silver and blue yarn (did you hand dye it yourself, Ophelia? If you did, it's absolutely brilliant!),
• A set of KnitPicks Harmony DPNs, size 2 (how did you know? I've been dying to try these out!)
• a set of bejeweled stitch markers, complete with little hearts dangling on the ends! :D
• The Knit Socks! book! I was very excited about this~ I flipped through it and all that sizing information is so helpful!
• Harry Potter glasses and Mad-Eye Moody's glass eye~ I'm totally using these for Halloween next year!
  
• A Hermione Lego keychain, which has become the official key holder of my apartment keys :D
• Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, Blood Pops, and Jelly Slugs~ so awesome! I always wondered how these tasted, and they're quite delicious (yes, I ate them all already XD).

Thank you, thank you, thank you Ophelia for such a wonderful package! I'm completely overwhelmed by your generosity~ its a hundred times better than I ever thought it could be! :D

Now, the next big adventure is to ball the yarn and cast on for my first ever pair of socks! Let's see if I can make this a success! ^^

Package Arrived!

I just got the most awesome package ever from the best spoiler ever! :D No camera at the moment unfortunately, so I'll update with more info and pictures in my next post. I'm so excited!!!

Final House Quiz

Is it the end already?! I can't believe the term is almost over!

1. Who loves containers of all sorts?
Esmerelda Beanswallow
2. Who dyed her fingers blue?
Lavender Ackerly
3. Who is related to William Shakespeare?
Celestina Cadogan
4. Who wants to own an alpaca farm?
Victoria Black
5. Who hates carrots?
Selina Starfire
6. Who is from the Muggle town of Bagshot in Surrey?
Patonga Pinkstone
7. Who was searching for radishes in the winter?
Madam Ferula McGonagall
8. Who got a gift certificate to a LYS from a Slytherin boy for Valentine's Day?
Cecilia Kettleburn
9. Who discovered ghosts and house elves drinking tea in the Great Hall at midnight?
Ophelia Hopkirk
10. Who took an extra credit class called Muggle Fantasy Literature?
Selina Starflame
11. Who attended a Muggle music convention?
Patonga Wigworthy
12. Who taught herself to purl backwards?
Serafina Starfire
13. Who sports Ravenclaw Spirit socks?
Minerva Kwikspell
14. Who would like to work in Muggle Relations after graduation?
Allitrya Spelling
15. Whose Mum is named Henrietta?
Avada Finch-Fletchley

Quidditch Round 3

Is it the last quidditch match of the term already?! I can't believe it! Let's hope Ravenclaw pulls ahead this round! :)


1. When Rita Skeeter prints a bad articles about Hagrid in the Daily Prophet, which Professor teaches Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class while he is away?
c. Professor Grubbly-Plank

2. What was the article Rita Skeeter wrote about Hagrid called?
c. Dumbledore's Giant Mistake

3. When the school champions were being chosen from the Goblet of Fire, whose name cam out first?
b. Viktor Krum

4. What is the spell Ludo bagman says to magically magnify his voice when he commentates?
a. Sonorus

5. What kind of dragon did Cedirc have to face in the first task?
b. A Swedish Short-Snout

6. Who raised the trophy after winning the world cup?
b. Troy and Quigley

7. How many bedrooms did Mundungus Fletcher claim to have?
d. 12

8. For what did Moody mistake his birthday gif of a carriage clock?
b. A basilisk egg

9. What did Mr. Ollivander produce for the end of Cedric's wand?
d. Silver smoke rings

10. The dark mark is on Snape's left arm.
a. Yes


Picture Scavenger Hunt
Karkaroff: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40966000/jpg/_40966992_karkarof.jpg
A Basilisk: http://www.3dawards.org/2003/report/film/Basilisk.jpg
Mundungus Fletcher: http://www.encyclopedie-hp.org/images/rs/mundungus-rs.jpg
Amos Diggory: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40967000/jpg/_40967002_amosdiggory.jpg
Snape: http://www.2dvalley.com/gallery/albums/RavnHearts-Gallery/snape.sized.jpg

Homework Woes

Argh~ I've been so swamped with work lately that I just realized that I might end up turning in my house homework late! It's amazing how quickly the term's been moving; everyone has been getting more quiet due to the ever-increasing workload. Too bad I have so many scrolls to write, otherwise I could spend the weekend relaxing at Hogsmeade. ;_; Oh well, maybe next week?

Ravenclaw Quiz #4

Ack~ I've been so swamped with essays and homework that I almost forgot about this quiz! I hope I posted this in time to count for this week!


1. What colorless and odorless potion forces the drinker to tell the truth?
Veritaserum

2. If the spell to Apparate goes wrong and leaves half of you behind, you have been what?
Splinched~ ack!

3. Who wrote the Standard Books of Spells Grades 1 and 2?
Miranda Goshawk

4. What is it called when brother wands meet?
Priori Incantatem

5. Name the charm used by Ludo at the World Cup to amplify his voice.
Sonorus

6. For what is the charm Aparecium used?
It makes invisible ink visible.

7. What charm requires the use of a Secret-Keeper?
Fidelus

8. What color should the Strengthening Potion be?
turquoise

9. What plants are used in preparing a confusing potion?
Scurvy-grass, Lovage, and Sneezewort

10. What condition is cured by Glumbumble?
hysteria

11. What poton makes a werewolf safe so he can keep his mind when he transforms, and what substance makes it useless?
Wolfsbane potion, and sugar makes it useless.

12. When does Fluxwood, an ingredient used in making Polyjuice Potion, have to be picked?
During the full moon.

13. What color should a Shrinking Solution be?
bright green

14. What potion is made from asphodel and wormwood?
Draught of the Living Death

15. For what are Jobberknoll feathers used?
Memory Potions and Truth Serums

Quidditch Round Two

1. With whom does Ginny go to the Yule Ball?
a. Neville

2. When Harry arrives at the Burrow and Mrs. Weasley makes them all dinner the night before they leave for the Quidditch World Cup, what does her wand turn into?
b. rubber chicken

3. Since some of the sixth-year girls didn't have any quills on them, what did they think Krum might sign their hats in?
c. lipstick

4. How old does the Quick Quotes Quill say that Rita Skeeter is?
a. 43

5. What color cloak is wormtail wearing in the Riddle house?
b. Black

6. What color is "Mad Eye" Moody's magical eye?
d. Blue

7. What color are the robes that Rita Skeeter was wearing when Harry meets her at the Weighing of the Wands ceremony?
b. Magenta

8. What does Sirius Black tell Harry, Ron and Hermione to call him when speaking around anyone else?
b. Snuffles

9. Which team beat Wales, disqualifying them from competing for the Quidditch World Cup?
c. Uganda

10. What does Madame Maxime say is the only thing her steeds will drink?
c. single-malt whiskey

Picture Hunt
Goblet of Fire
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/05/entertainment_goblet_of_fire/img/8.jpg

Madam Maxine
http://entertainment.iafrica.com/cm_pics/entertain/5-1891-0-0_254749.jpg

Dragon from first challenge
http://www.artboxent.com/images/cards/HP4/Base/56.jpg

Viktor Krum
http://kenny17.free.fr/galleriehp/albums/userpics/10001/viktor_krum.jpg

Madam Pomfrey
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/a/a3/200px-Pomfrey.jpg

Ravenclaw House Quiz!

Woohoo~ I knew all the answers to these off the top of my head! Maybe I'm getting better at history, after all. :)


1. What is Professor McGonnagall's first name?
Minerva

2. Who is the librarian of Hogwarts?
Madam Pince

3. What is Madam Rosmerta's job?
She owns The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade.

4. What is Rita Skeeter's secret?
She is a beetle animagus.

5. Madam Hooch is instructor of what subject?
flying

6. Who is Parvati Patil's best friend?
Lavender Brown

7. What Quidditch position does Cho Chang play?
seeker

8. What is the name of Fleur Delacour's little sister?
Gabrielle

9. Who is professor of Divination?
Professor Trelawney

10. Who wrote "A History of Magic"?
Bathilda Bagshot

Valentine’s Day Preparations

This weekend I went into Hogsmeade to buy a Valentine’s Day gift for my boyfriend. I wasn’t able to find exactly what I wanted, however (although I did pick up some treats for myself at Honeydukes!), so I decided to buy some yarn on the muggle Internet and make a little plushie for him.

When I came back from Hogsmeade, I found waiting for me an owl from my secret spoiler! As if she had magically read my mind (and I wouldn’t put that past her, she’s amazing!), she had sent me a $15 gift certificate for KnitPicks! I’m going to put the $15 toward some much needed blocking pins, and a pair of size 13 Harmony needle tips (very helpful, as I own the Options nickel-plated set~ it's great, but it only goes up to size 11 tips). Thank you so much, spoiler! You really made my day! :D

I’m working on an afghan for my boyfriend’s birthday, so I’m going to use the chance to stock up on yarn at KnitPicks so that I’ll go over $50 and get the free shipping. I do love shopping for yarn!

Weekend Planning

I'm a bit late, but happy Chinese New Years, everyone! We're now in the Year of the Rat!

I've been swamped with so much homework lately, but I think I'm keeping up alright. I just got my results back on my latest exams, and I've been getting all As~ that makes me really glad! It means that I can afford to relax this weekend and work on my swap partner's kit. It's very convenient that this is a Hogsmeade weekend, as I was planning to pick up some more supplies for the kit. I've got a plan for the kit all figured out, but I won't say any more here so that I don't ruin the surprise for my swap partner. :) I'll have to ask Elanor and Gabriella what they're doing~ maybe we can all go into Hogsmeade together!

Quidditch!

Wow~ this round of quidditch was intense! That was my first time playing, and I was amazed by how into it everyone was! The snitch was very cleverly hidden in a place I didn't even think to look, so I'm afraid my efforts at flying weren't of much help to Ravenclaw. It was still lots of fun, though! And woohoo~ we went from last to 2nd place! That's really impressive for one round~ good job, Ravenclaws! I'm really looking forward to the next round when we can bump ourselves up to 1st place! :D

I got an owl back from Mother about Elanor's ancestor. :) It seems that it was a Caldwell Cadogan, back in the Elizabethan era, who was an extremely talented writer. He went off to muggle London to be a playwright, fell in love with a girl he met there, and never came back to the magical world. Mother insists that the plays supposedly written by a muggle named William Shakespeare were really written by Caldwell, and that Shakespeare was just his pen name. I do love plays, so I find this information very interesting! I wonder if I can find Caldwell's plays on the Internet (or would it be William Shakespeare's)? Perhaps they might even still be showing in muggle London, although they're so old now that they probably aren't anymore...

Picture Scavenger Hunt

Here's my links for the pictures for the scavenger hunt! The muggle Internet really is amazing~ you can find pictures of practically anything on that search machine called Google!

Mr. Ollivander: http://www.beyondhogwarts.com/articles/images/ollivander2.jpg

Mad-Eye Moody: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/1/13/Mad_Eye_Moody_GoF.jpg

Cedric: http://www.isleepinadrawer.com/archives/CedricDiggory.jpg

World Cup Tournament (I wasn't quite sure what picture would work for this one, so I found a picture of the quidditch pitch that they built for the tournament. I hope this is acceptable!): http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40806000/jpg/_40806418_quidditch_300.jpg

Dark Mark: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Dark_Mark.JPG

Quiddich - Round One

The games are starting~ I'm so excited! I wouldn't call myself a natural on a broomstick, but I do enjoy flying once in a while, so I'm looking forward to all the fun. :)

The quiz this time was better than I hoped~ I actually knew about half the answers off the top of my head. I had to do a little research in my textbooks for the others, but they weren't too hard to find. I hope I got 100! *crosses fingers*

1. What was Harry dreaming about the first time he woke up with his scar on fire?
b. Voldemort and Wormtail plotting to kill him

2. What is the problem with leprechaun gold?
a. It vanishes after a few hours

3. Why did Mad-Eye Moody turn Malfoy into a ferret?
c. Malfoy attached Harry when Harry's back was turned

4. Sirius warns Harry to be careful around Karkaroff because he had been a Death Eater. Which one of the professors at Hogwarts, who also used to be a Death Eater, is frequently bothered by Karkaroff?
Snape

5. Voldemort could have used the blood from any foe to make the potion that revived him work, but he held out for Harry's blood. Why?
c. The special protection Harry received from his mother would also pass to Voldemort

6. How old would Frank have been on his next birthday?
d. 77

7. Amos Diggory works for?
b. The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures

8. Who shared a carriage with the three friends on the way from the train to Hogwarts?
Neville

9. What date in October did the delegates from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang arrive?
a. 30th

10. What color were Percy's dress robes at the Yule Ball?
a. Navy Blue

Ravenclaw House Quiz #2

This week's quiz was tough! I hope I got 100% on it!


1. RWIDZTAIR UANONETRMT
Triwizard Tournament

2. NRNAGIHAU RAHNIOTL
Hungarian Horntail

3. AEEMDY ONYOME
Mad-Eye Mooney? (I thought it was Moody…? This one has me stumped.)

4. ARTI KEESTRE
Rita Skeeter

5. ELSAUAEPBNKS
Unspeakables

6. ULSFENFS
Snuffles

7. NEPSVEIE
Pensieve

8. RMUEIIPS
Imperius

9. TREUEEBTBR
Butterbeer

10. ROFELIBT
Firebolt

Weekend relaxation.

This weekend I went into Hogsmeade to pick up supplies for stitch-marker-making. After reading some fascinating tutorials on the muggle internet, I’ve decided to make the stitch markers for my partner’s sock kit. I’ve never made stitch markers before, but I’m a Ravenclaw~ I live for learning new things. :) I spent the afternoon playing around with beads instead of doing my homework. Currently I’m experimenting with bending the wires so that they won’t catch on the knitting. I’m not sure how successful it’ll be, but so far the stitch markers are looking pretty good!

I sent an owl to Mother to ask what our family history books say about Elanor’s ancestor. It’s pretty thrilling to meet a relative for the first time here at Hogwarts~ and she’s my roommate, too! What a wonderful coincidence! It’s really interesting that we’re related, and yet we’re so different. Our common ancestor must go pretty far back~ Elanor grew up in the muggle world, while I’ve lived in the wizarding world all my life. I hope I can learn more about muggle electronics from her, as I’m pretty hopeless with them!

I believe there is another Cadogan in our year, a Gryffindor girl named Petunia~ I’ve seen her in the Great Hall once, but I still feel a little shy to introduce myself. Perhaps I’ll try talking to her the next time I see her.

Beginning of the Year Feast!

I had a blast talking to everyone at the Beginning of the Year Feast! The headmistress isn't anywhere near as intimidating as I thought she might be~ she's actually pretty cool!

Classes are rough going already, but extremely interesting. Professor Von Humperdink is a tough teacher, but I think I'm going to enjoy his class. He seems to be prone to nasty moods once in a while, but he makes up for it with his extremely soothing speaking voice. I wonder if he's ever tried singing? He seems like he'd be great at singing cheesy romantic ballads (shhhh, don't tell him I said that, though!).

Off to breakfast with Elanor and Gabriella, now~ let's see what today will bring!

Quiz time!

Classes have barely begun, and we have a quiz already! Luckily I spent a good deal of time studying before the term started (I'm such a Ravenclaw, huh?), so I think I did alright.

1. Name 4 housemates who have revealed their Patronuses and list the form their Patronuses take.
Minerva Kwikspell – Eagle
Patonga Pinkstone – Tiger
Perpetua Phoenixfire – Eagle
Avada Finch-Fletchley – Phoenix

2. Who attended the first meeting of the Ravenclaw Knitting Club?
Elanor Cadogan
Gabriella Clearwater
Fleur Lovegoods
Esmerelda
Cassandra Hopkirk
Millicent Brocklehurst
Minerva Kwikspell
Enid Black
Allitrya Spelling
Mafalda Ackerley
Serafina Starfire

3. Name the housemate who likes to knit with peacock feathers.
Fleur Lovegoods

4. Name the Ravenclaw who spent the New Year at Hogwart's Costume Ball.
Emma Diggory

5. Which Ravenclaw got the first howler?
Lavender Ackerley (on 1/5/08)

6. Name 5 different types of wood used in the wands of Ravenclaws and name the housemate having that wand.
Walnut – Gabriella Clearwater
Holly – Patonga Pinkstone
Birch – Perpetua Phoenixfire
Maple – Fleur Crockford
Hawthorn – Elanor Cadogan

7. Who accidentally ate a toenail flavored Every Flavor Bean?
Serafina Starfire

8. Who cast a noise dampening spell before going to bed and then overslept?
Esmerelda Beanswallow

9. Besides the HSKS4 blog, on what blog will you find the Ravenclaw Anthem?
Minerva Kwikspell

10. Which housemate has a Muggle cellular phone?
Victoria Black

Let's hope I got 100%! Here's to starting off the term with a bang! :)

My swap partner!

I received an owl with my partner's details for the Sock Kit Swap, and I'm so excited! My partner is a first year as well, and she's a Hufflepuff~ that means that I'll get to knit up a little bag in yellow and black. I'm glad I got assigned to a Hufflepuff, since I do like their colors. I spent the day looking on the muggle Internet for yarn and pattern ideas, and I can't wait to get started!

I've finally chosen the classes to take this term after a great deal of speculation. I've decided not to take so many that I'll need the time turner~ I'm aiming for top marks in every class, after all, so I don't want to overwork myself and cause my grades to suffer. Here are the classes I've chosen:

Astronomy
Care of Magical Creatures
Charms
Defense Against the Dark Arts
Herbology
Potions
Transfiguration
History of Magic
Magic in Threadwork and Weaving

The only class on that list that I'm not looking forward to is History of Magic, but since it's compulsory, there isn't much I can do about it. Let's hope I learn a little charm to keep myself awake in Professor Binn's class.

First day fun!

Oh, dear~ My first day here, and I’ve already gotten myself into a tight spot. The common room is completely uninhabitable at the moment, and… I must admit… I might have had a little bit to do with the incident. (But, only a little bit!) I spent a good deal of the day helping the house elves clean up the water in the common room by hand. Perhaps I should wait for classes to begin before I attempt any more spells.

I visited Sir Cadogan’s portrait earlier this morning, and he was extremely surprised that I wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor. He actually went on quite a long tirade about it, and I felt obliged to listen to the whole thing~ he is my ancestor, after all. Sir Cadogan went on for a good hour, spending a good deal of the time yelling "But bravery is in your blood, my girl! Am I not the bravest knight the world has seen?!" or something to that effect (I admit I started tuning him out about five minutes into his monologue). To be honest, the Sorting Hat almost put me in Gryffindor, but it told me that I was equally suited to Ravenclaw, so I decided why not try it out? I have a feeling that I’ll be one of the most Gryffindor-ish Ravenclaws in my year, so I hope I’ll be able to make lots of friends from other houses!

I'm heeeere!

Hello, all! My name is Celestina Cadogan, and I've just been accepted to Hogwarts! This will be my first year, so I'm very excited for the new term to begin!

A little bit about me: I am a direct descendant of Sir Cadogan, whose portrait appears to have something of an infamous reputation here at Hogwarts. In his defense, his Hogwarts portrait was painted when he was an older man, and past his prime. According to the books on our family history in my father’s library, Sir Cadogan was an especially skilled horseback rider in his youth~ difficult to believe when one sees his Hogwarts portrait, I admit. Although I must say, his Hogwarts portrait self is a lot less… stoic… than I was led to believe in my childhood. :)

Please feel free to leave a note and say hi! I'm very excited to meet lots of new people during my stay at Hogwarts! :)