Thirty Three Spoons {Dictated}

[cyan_maid]

[There's a flutter of pages, the sound of a finger dragging along the printed lines of a paper - and then a little gasp of discovery.]

Oh - there it is, beech wands.

[Jane clears her throat and reads,]

'The true match for a beech wand will be, if young, wise beyond his or her years, and if full-grown, rich in understanding and experience. Beech wands perform very weakly for the narrow-minded and intolerant. Such wizards and witches, having obtained a beech wand without having been suitably matched, yet coveting this most desirable, richly hued and highly prized wand wood, have often presented themselves at the homes of learned wandmakers, demanding to know the reason for their handsome wand’s lack of power. When properly matched, the beech wand is capable of a subtlety and artistry rarely seen in any other wood, hence its lustrous reputation.'

[She chuckles softly when she finishes, and speaks with an almost disbelieving air.] Sorry about that. It's just...when we were at that school, Hogwarts. That was what my wand was made of, beech and unicorn hair. About eleven inches long, that I know for sure, I used its length a few times to measure all those papers I wrote. I couldn't help but wonder if it meant anything, when we came back, so I thought, why not look it up?

[There's a pause. Navel contemplation of this nature is kind of hard for Jane, especially admitting it aloud.]

I think...I might have been too hasty in my judgements of the past, both home and in Paradisa. If I'd been myself the past week, I wouldn't have enjoyed all the wondrous and mundane things as much as I did. I probably would've been a sourpuss all the way through! And it was nice, really nice, to just...let things be for once. I can't say that I'd want to do that all the time, but perhaps I need to try harder to open my mind to impossible things. Just a little harder.

[She breathes a sigh, and closes the book she read out of.] Although if there's one thing I do not appreciate in the least, it's how little advantage I took of all those amazing pranking gizmos! Oh, well...it's not like I couldn't have booby-trapped the hallways with those lovely wet-start fireworks! Hoo hoo hoo...or maybe I could've? You can never be sure, after all! [And with that and another suspicious chuckle, Jane closes her journal.]

((OOC: Wand lore info taken from the Harry Potter Wiki! And if it wasn't clear, Jane has most definitely booby-trapped random hallways with Dr. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No Heat Fireworks. Mess with her Prankster's Gambit with House pride and studious endeavors, will you Paradisa? The joke is on you! Watch your step!))

Comments

[whichwayyoulean]

Oh hey, we had the same wand. Mine was a little longer, but still. So that's what it's all about huh? That's kinda interesting.

And I get you, if I'd of been myself and not sent back to the swirling horrors of teenagerdom and given me fake memories I would have sulked in the dungeon the whole time.

[cyan_maid]

It is, isn't it? The book also had quite a few passages about other kinds of woods, too. I don't think I'd had ever thought the material of a magic wand would matter.

Would you have really? The dungeons seemed awfully dreary for the Potions bit. Too much like crypts, far too much.

[whichwayyoulean]

Neither did I, really. I mean, it's still a wand, right? They can all do the same spells.

I like dreary. It's homely.

[cyan_maid]

There must be something different about the woods. Subtleties, perhaps.

[A sigh.] Well, for you perhaps. For me? Not at all.

[whichwayyoulean]

Well, there has to be, or else why have different wands at all?

Everyone has their own thing.

[cyan_maid]

How very true! I wish I'd thought to ask while we were there.

They do indeed, huh...

[whichwayyoulean]

Did you have crazy fake memories? Because then you wouldn't think to ask.

[cyan_maid]

Well of course I did. But I didn't know that, so I don't know why I didn't ask. I seemed to ask after a lot of things, there, even though I felt well informed.

[whichwayyoulean]

I guess they couldn't quench your curious spirit, huh?

[cyan_maid]

No, I suppose not! But it's all the more reason to try and be a little more curious now, don't you think?

[whichwayyoulean]

Sure isn't. You never know when we might be able to use this info again.

dictated;

[kindnessing]

[ ... wandlore, huh? ken did grow extremely fond of his wand over the past week, but it was apparently a more complex tool than he thought it was. ]

May I borrow that book when you're finished with it? It sounds like a very interesting subject.

Dictated

[cyan_maid]

Of course, I don't mind! It is somewhat fascinating. There are some things in here that I would normally attribute to hokey superstition, but then I have to remind myself that things like that seemed to be the norm in that school!

Dictated

[kindnessing]

Mm, that's true. Even though looking out for old superstitions and traditions really comes in handy in a place like this castle, Hogwarts seemed to run entirely on them.

... Do you find places like this hard to come to terms with?

Dictated

[cyan_maid]

I do. Please don't misunderstand, I'd never deny something if it stared me in the face, but I've always leaned on the more skeptical side of things. My Dad's one doozy of a prankster and I've always had to keep my eye out for pies to the face and hand buzzers, and I really admire investigative wit, so skepticism is usually my first reaction to things.

[whistles_the_blues]

...At least I know who get back at if I run into a fire work situation.

[cyan_maid]

Oh, do you now? Are you sure? I seem to recall some excellent pranksters from that school among our own numbers, you know!

[She's not even trying to deny it.]

[whistles_the_blues]

I know where to start at least, if there are others I'll worry about them when I run into them.

[cyan_maid]

Are you absolutely sure you'll know? I might be quite the slippery sort to catch!

[whistles_the_blues]

Is that a challenge?

[cyan_maid]

Hmm, it very well could be! But you'll have to have due reason to take it up before it is, won't you? Namely, a bit of fireworks trouble.

[whistles_the_blues]

True. You'd best be ready if I run into any.

[cyan_maid]

Ready and rarin'!

[whistles_the_blues]

Awfully excited for someone who might not have done anything.

[cyan_maid]

I'm always excited! It sounds like fun to me! The thrill of the chase, you might say!