Welcome to Light Reading

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

 Harry and Ron barely had time to exchange mystified looks before she was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.

‘I never thought to look in here!’ she whispered excitedly. ‘I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.’

‘Light?’ said Ron. -Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

 

In honour of one of Gryffindor’s most famous members, we’re doing a bit of light reading of our own!

 

Every month, we’ll tackle a different wizarding book, ranging from textbooks found in the Hogwarts library to page-turners witches and wizards read for fun.

 

There will be 3 or 4 small tasks for each book, including puzzles, creative and discussions. Each task will usually be worth 10 rubies each, though we might increase that for trickier tasks.

 

If you have trouble with a particular task for accessibility reasons, just send a PM to whoever posted it and we’ll work with you to come up with an alternative that works better for you.

 

Happy reading!

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

First we’ll be starting with One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. This weighty tome was written by celebrated herbologist and former Hogwarts headmistress Phyllida Spore during the 15th century.

It’s an incredibly useful A-to-Z of mystical plants and fungi that you’ve probably encountered in herbology and potions lessons plenty of times. But when it comes to knowledge that could prevent you from accidentally poisoning yourself, a reread is always a good idea!

Discussion: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4150-herbs-and-fungi-task-1/

Colouring Page: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4149-herbs-and-fungi-task-2/

Wordsearch: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4148-herbs-and-fungi-task-3/

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

This month we're peering into the mists of what-yet-may-be with the help of Cassandra Vablatsky's Unfogging the Future.

Vablatsky (1894-1997) was a celebrated seer and poured her considerable wisdom into this handy textbook for divination students.

Task 1: 

 

 

Task 2: 

 

 

Task 3: 

 

 

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

This month we’re exploring the rich and eventful history of the wizarding world’s favourite sport via Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp.

This compendium of all things Quidditch was first published in 1952 and tracks Quidditch from it’s very beginnings through to the teams we know and love today.

Task 1 – Broom design

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4189-quidditch-through-the-ages-task-1/

Task 2 – Chants

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4190-quidditch-through-the-ages-task-2/

Task 3 – Jigsaw

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4188-quidditch-through-the-ages-–-task-three/

[Janne Halla 28]

In October, we continue with our trend of exploring history, this time, the book we’ll be looking at is A History of Magic by Bathilda Baghost, one of the more famous wizarding historians. A History of Magic examines significant moments and facts from the beginning of time to the 19th century making this book an essential part of any magical school.

 

Task One - Ministers of Magic

 

Task Two - Favourite Time Period

 

Task Three - Wendelin the Weird

 

[Janne Halla 28]

Muggles are quite fascinating people, I wonder how they’ve managed all their lives without even a hint of magic. To celebrate our non-magical brethren, in November, we’re reading through the book that covers events where Muggles noticed elements of the Wizarding world. I’m of course talking about Muggles Who Notice by Blenheim Stalk.

 

Task One - Excuses, Excuses

 

Task Two - I Spy

 

Task Three - Ingenious Inventions

 

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan 34]

You might recognize our next collection of books, as they are a constant on our textbook lists. It is a collection of books written by Miranda Goshawk for several subjects at Hogwarts, but it is most notably used in Charms and sometimes in the Defense against the Dark Arts.

 

Task One - Illustration

 

Task Two - Poem

 

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

Dazzling smiles and brightly coloured robes at the ready because this month, we’re diving into Magical Me, the smash hit “autobiography” by the infamous Gilderoy Lockhart.

When it was released, it was believed to be a true account of Lockhart’s daring deeds and selfless fight against the dark arts. Once it was discovered that most of the heroic acts Lockhart claimed credit for were actually performed by people he’d memory wiped though, the book gave readers the chance to get inside the mind of one of the wizarding world’s most audacious con artists.

 

Task 1 – creating excerpts from the book:

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4270-magical-me-task-1/

Task 2 – Lockhart Trivia Challenge:

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4269-magical-me-task-2/

Task 3 - reinventing history, Lockhart style:

https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4268-magical-me-task-3/

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

Do you know your X from XXXXX? This month we’re delving into one of the wizarding worlds most popular (and useful) textbooks: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.

This book was penned by one of the most accomplished magizoologists the world has ever seen and is based on his extensive hands-on experience with the creatures. It presents a detailed profile of each creature, including their characteristics, temperament and history.

Task 1: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4283-fantastic-beasts-task-1/

Task 2: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4284-fantastic-beasts-task-2/

Task 3: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4282-fantastic-beasts-task-3/

[Janne Halla 28]

I hope you didn't get lost too much during our trip to Mardi Gras! Now that we've all returned, we can brush up on our wandwork with The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble, a mandatory reading for all taking Defense against the Dark Arts!

 

Task 1: 

 

Task 2: 

 

Task 3: 

 

 

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

This month we’re peering into the mirky depths with “Dreadful Denizens of the Deep” by an unknown author.

Now this book is a bit of an enigma. It offers all sorts of fascinating details about those magical creatures that live deep under water, along with some dramatic first hand accounts from wizards who have come across them. But we don’t know anything about it’s author or when it was published.

That’s because the only copy we’ve been able to find is from the Hogwarts library and the  cover and title page are so badly water damaged (we think from students sneaking it down to the lake) that we just can’t discern any of the original publication information.

But that’s no reason to swerve such an interesting read, so let’s dive in!

Task 1:

 

Task 2: 

 

Task 3:

 

[Janne Halla 28]

In May, we're going to look at another anonymous book. This one's author is unknown by necessity, as Hairy Snout, Human Heart, is a heart-breaking account of a wizard's struggle with being a werewolf and his place in the wizarding world.

 

Task 1:

 

Task 2:

 

Task 3:

 

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

This month we’re leafing through a book that’s probably very familiar to many of you: Hogwarts, a History.

Written by celebrated magical historian Bathilda Bagshot, this book offers a detailed look at the history of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry and provides information about many of the castle’s most mystical features. It’s beloved by history lovers and students hoping to learn all of Hogwarts’ secrets alike.

Task 1: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4326-hogwarts-a-history-task-1/

Task 2: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4325-hogwartsa-history-task-2/

Task 3: https://gryff.net/index.php?/topic/4324-hogwarts-a-history-task-3/

[Janne Halla 28]

Ah, summer! The loveliest of all seasons for a quiet relaxing vacation in the mountains. It's got nice weather and farther up you go, the temperature drops to a pleasant spring-levels.

 

Wanderings of a Tree in Alps, a five-volume travelling memoir, agrees with the above and gives plenty of tips on the best views in the Alps, as well as where you can find the tastiest food and the safest (or most daring) or paths.

 

It's appropriate for all manner of sentient travellers, though written from the point of view of a sentient tree. Just don't mind the long paragraphs about the differences between a lime and chartreuse green. I personally can't see it.

 

Task One

 

Task Two

 

Task Three

 

[Prof. Sky Alton 275]

For August's Light Reading we're taking a chance to look back at the previous year and forward to the next one.

 

[Janne Halla 28]

If you've ever wondered about the strange symbols etched into ancient stones or the mysterious writings in the margins of old spellbooks, then you're in for a treat. Ancient Runes might seem like a tricky subject, but fear not - Ancient Runes Made Easy is your map, guiding you through the secrets of runic languages with ease. It provides translations for over twenty-one thousand different runes and symbols!

 

Ancient Runes Made Easy – Task 1

Ancient Runes Made Easy – Task 2

Ancient Runes Made Easy – Task 3

 

[Janne Halla 28]

Watch your fingers! This book is known to be quite snappy. The Monster Book of Monsters, written by Edwardus Lima, is a particular favourite of Rubeus Hagrid, Hogwarts' gamekeeper and a professor of Care of Magical Creatures. It's actually quite a good read, just remember to gently stroke the book's spine before leafing through it.

 

The Monster Book of Monsters – Task 1

The Monster Book of Monsters – Task 2

The Monster Book of Monsters – Task 3