Prof. Sky Alton

We’re diving back into the fascinating topic of ancient runes this month with Spellman’s Syllabary. This text is invaluable for anyone hoping to decipher some runic script as it’s a compendium of runes and their meanings. Join us as we uncover the mysteries behind some aged inscriptions (and hope we don’t discover any nasty curses along the way…)

We’ve talked about violet flowers but they’re not the only place the colour shows up in the natural world. Many animals, sea creatures, birds and insects flaunt at least some violet. Research one or several of them. You can either produce a fact chart in the form of a collage with a few written facts sprinkled in or share what you discover in at least 100 words (your own words, please). Post your findings below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of June to earn 10 rubies.

The colour violet was named after the flowers of the same name. We’ve been using violets in our cooking since the time of the ancient Greeks and possibly even further back. They’re commonly used in sweet treats (remember the dessert Dobby destroyed was covered in candied violets?) but they can also be used in salads and in drinks. For this task, we’ve like you to design the packaging for a brand new product flavoured with violets. Make sure it’s eye-catching. You can either create a graphic (in which case, please keep it to 600x600 pixels and upload to a graphics hosting website) or describe your package design in 80 words or more. Post your creations below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of June to earn 10 rubies.

One of the things we associate green with is the emotion of jealousy. It’s given us some striking sayings, including “the green-eyed monster” which seems to have been invented by William Shakespeare. But what if the monster was more than a clever metaphor? What would it look like if it really existed? And how did it get its reputation for envy? Let’s find out! You can either show us your interpretation of the green-eyed monster as a graphic (keep it to 600x600 pixels or less and upload to an image sharing website, please) or you can write a story about how it became associated with jealousy in 100 words or more. Post your monstrous creations below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of June to earn 10 rubies.

Not everyone is as big a fan of Beedle’s work as the countless wizarding children who have been enchanted by the tales. In fact, Beatrix Bloxam found them so dark and unpleasant that she decided to write her own sickeningly sweet adaptations that she thought were more suitable for young minds. “Then the little golden pot danced with delight – hoppitty hoppitty hop! – on its tiny rosy toes! Wee Willykins had cured all the dollies of their poorly tum-tums, and the little pot was so happy that it filled up with sweeties for Wee Willykins and the dollies!” Illustrations are an important part of any children’s book. That’s why we’d like you to create some artwork for one of Beatrix Bloxam’s versions of the famous tales. Which one you pick is up to you. Please keep your graphic to 600x600 pixels or less and include a quick caption to let us know what it depicts. If you’d rather do this through writing, you can describe the artwork you’d create in 80 words or more. Post your illustrations below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of June to earn 10 rubies.

We’ve been using dyes to bring a splash of colour to our clothes and other textiles for thousands of years. But before it was possible to pop down to the craft store for a bottle of whatever shade we wanted, we had to find some way of creating the right colour dye from natural resources. Do some research and tell us about a historic method for creating orange dye. Ideally, we’d like it to be a true orange but given the subject matter, very close colours like dark yellow would be acceptable. Who came up with it? What was the process like? Did you discover anything else of interest? Providing it’s true, HOL appropriate and written in your own words, it’s all good. Share your findings in 100 words or more and post them below by 23:59 HOL-time on June the 30th to earn 10 rubies.

Well, sadly, that’s the end of our island adventure. It’s been an absolute pleasure to hear all about the things you’d take and why. Rubies should be awarded now but if you spot something missing, please let me know and I’ll look into it for you (please also check your PMs as I needed to check one or two things with some folks). Thank you all so much for sharing your desert island discs!

'Have either of you seen my copy of Numerology and Gramatica?' 'Oh, yeah, I borrowed it for a bit of bedtime reading,' said Ron, but very quietly. Number charts at the ready because this time, we’re reading Numerology and Grammatica by L. Wakefield and N. Carneiro Maths but make it magical. Used by Arithmancy students at Hogwarts, this is a helpful introduction to the mystical properties of numbers and how they can be used to make predictions and conduct analysis. Task 1: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4522-numerology-and-grammatica-task-1/ Task 2: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4523-numerology-and-grammatica-task-2/ Task 3: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4524-numerology-and-grammatica-task-3/

The book starts off with a detailed look into numbers, covering the magical properties of each in detail. I don’t know about you but the first thing I’d do would be to look up my lucky number to see if I’d picked a good one… If you have a lucky number of your own, great. If not, pick one either that you like or at random. Do some research into its mystical/magical significance and tell us at least 5 things that you found interesting. Your write-up should be at least 100 words for full credit.

Solutions received from... River Fenwick Luna Ravenlong

Now all your choices have been made, there’s nothing left to do but settle into island life. Why not laze on the beach and watch the shimmering sea for a while? Solve the following fallen letters: https://imgur.com/KIRddxC write your solution out as text (not an image) and send it to me via PM. You’ll earn 10 rubies if you submit it by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of April.

You might have picked all of your discs and a book but there are still a few more questions to answer before you’re cast away. 1. What would you like your luxury item to be? It can’t be another person or creature and it can’t be something you can use to escape but other than that, you can have anything you want. Other castaways have chosen musical instruments, a lifetime supply of tea and coffee machines, amongst many others. In particular, don’t worry about the lack of electricity. 2. How well do you think you’ll cope on the island, both in terms of the practical survival skills and the solitude? 3. If you could save only one of your 8 discs from the waves, which would it be and why? Each of your answers should be at least 50 words for full credit. Post your answers below by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of April to earn 15 rubies (5 per answer).

Approved Fred Glaser - first year

Approved Maisie Carmichael - Slytherin visitor

Fishing will be one of the best ways of finding food on the island, so you'd best get practicing. Please solve the following adapted battle ships puzzle. https://imgur.com/BeUnA36 Each puzzle represents an ocean with a hidden school of fish, which may be oriented horizontally or vertically within the grid such that no fish touches another, not even diagonally. The numbers on the right and on the bottom of the grid show how many squares in the corresponding row and column are occupied by fish segments. Please send your solution to @Prof. Maxim Trevelyan via PM by 23:59 HOL-time on the 30th of April to earn 10 rubies.