Still reeling from the news of his grandfather's passing, Jace found himself with his trusty bag with his packed lunch, bottled water, and an extra shirt. He didn't feel like staying in the Castle anyway, nor did he want to power through with his Runes studies. The news was too sad for the 18-year-old, and he'd rather be outside doing something else entirely. And so, to escape his emotions, he'd sign up for this mini excursion in the Caledonian Forest to learn more about...wand woods perhaps, and how they actually go through with the creation of wands. Was the process entirely different from country to country? Questions, he's got those.

The weather outside was indeed perfect, but Jace can't help but long to be home with his family. His father wouldn't look like he's mourning, but Jace knew better. He didn't even want to think about his uncle River. Sighing...and quite surprised that he was among the first to arrive, Jace bowed to Professor Marchand, and offered him a grin. "Hello, Professor." the grin almost turned into a giggle, remembering the popping balloon incident. Yes, he was there when it happened...and there was no way the man will know he was the mastermind behind the prank.

Daisy made her way to the Entrance Gate with an excited expression on her features. "Hello, Professor Marchand. How are you?" She saw Jacen and gave him a little wave.

This field trip couldn't have come at a better time; between not being on speaking terms again with a certain Hufflepuff Sixth Year, all due to her not sharing valuable crush information. Information that they ALWAYS shared for years. Combined with the upcoming play, normal end of year exams, quidditch practices, and so forth, Skylar Diggory was in desperate need to get away from the castle for a day. The fact that the trip was led by one of her favorite professors, made her looking forward to the trip even more.

So the sixth year was definitely smiles when she arrived by the entrance gates, which may or may not have been reflected upon the fact that it was super sunny outside that day.

Hello, hello, hello!

Zita was here and she was seeming back to her normal confident self. She came down the steps of the entrance hall and joined the small group that had been gathering. She was about to go on a field trip and there was no way she was going to miss it, though if she was honest she didn't have any interest in the topic, but getting to go somewhere,
HELLO YES!


"Hi professor, I'm here and ready." Everyone can start now that she was here!

Emmalyn bounded down to the entrance gate, eyes sparkling with excitement. She wasn't exactly sure what wandlore was all about, but they would be leaving the grounds by portkey and she had never done that before.

She skidded to a stop next to Daisy and gave her friend a little wave. "Hi. It's a great day, isn't it?" It was going to be an amazing day. "Good day, sir." She greeted while scanning the growing crowd. Spotting two of her new friends, Emmalyn bounced up and down a bit while giving another wave. "Hi Skylar! Hi Zita!"

She looked up towards the castle, hoping he would be attending the field trip as well. She should have just asked him while they were all in the common room, but she hadn't worked up the courage to.

He wasn't really interested in wandlore per se, he just really wanted out of the castle and its grounds for awhile. After all, it had been awhile since the last Hogsmeade weekend. Anyway, Ronan was here, gear in tow.

"Hello, everyone!" he greeted. Was he the last to arrive? Or were there more Hogwartians coming?

Also, yes he was carrying his backpack, only now it held his packed lunch, a water bottle and a first aid kit instead of the usual books, parchment, etc.

Kye was quite excited to learn about wandlore, just afraid she wouldn't be able to take in all the information they would get! Wandlore was definitely a fascinating subject, and she would prefer a class in that over COMC or Divination... But oh well. Kye had packed her small backpack with anything she could think of, making sure not to forget writing supplies and chapstick. She could go through chapstick quicker than anyone she knew! It felt like a curse, but she preferred it over those that lost their chapstick halfway through the tube. She arrived at the entrance gates to find quite a bit of people had gotten there early, including her captain and her... uh... well, others. She smiled, she played it off as a greeting to Sky and everyone, but there was something else fueling it. Anything could happen today, couldn't it? For some reason, she was even happier to be going on this little excursion.

Text Cut: Jace

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

Still reeling from the news of his grandfather's passing, Jace found himself with his trusty bag with his packed lunch, bottled water, and an extra shirt. He didn't feel like staying in the Castle anyway, nor did he want to power through with his Runes studies. The news was too sad for the 18-year-old, and he'd rather be outside doing something else entirely. And so, to escape his emotions, he'd sign up for this mini excursion in the Caledonian Forest to learn more about...wand woods perhaps, and how they actually go through with the creation of wands. Was the process entirely different from country to country? Questions, he's got those.

The weather outside was indeed perfect, but Jace can't help but long to be home with his family. His father wouldn't look like he's mourning, but Jace knew better. He didn't even want to think about his uncle River. Sighing...and quite surprised that he was among the first to arrive, Jace bowed to Professor Marchand, and offered him a grin. "Hello, Professor." the grin almost turned into a giggle, remembering the popping balloon incident. Yes, he was there when it happened...and there was no way the man will know he was the mastermind behind the prank.

Gaston eyed the path leading back to the castle, wondering when the students would begin to arrive. He didn't have to wait long before Jacen appeared. Was it just him or did the boy look like he had a lot on his mind? He eyed him with concern momentarily, but his expression changed at the sight of his grin. ”Good morning, Mr. Reed,” he replied, returning the bow with one of his own. He could still say that, right? It was technically morning for another hour or so. ”Are you ready for the field trip?”

Text Cut: Daisy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginevra

Daisy made her way to the Entrance Gate with an excited expression on her features. "Hello, Professor Marchand. How are you?" She saw Jacen and gave him a little wave.

Here came another student! Gaston beamed as he saw Daisy's excited expression. Good, that was just the attitude he liked to see! ”Hello, Miss Swann,” he greeted. ”I'm quite well, thank you for asking. How are you?”

Text Cut: Skylar

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

This field trip couldn't have come at a better time; between not being on speaking terms again with a certain Hufflepuff Sixth Year, all due to her not sharing valuable crush information. Information that they ALWAYS shared for years. Combined with the upcoming play, normal end of year exams, quidditch practices, and so forth, Skylar Diggory was in desperate need to get away from the castle for a day. The fact that the trip was led by one of her favorite professors, made her looking forward to the trip even more.

So the sixth year was definitely smiles when she arrived by the entrance gates, which may or may not have been reflected upon the fact that it was super sunny outside that day.

Gaston looked around, just in time to see Skylar show up. The Slytherin captain’s arrival earner her a smile from the professor. ”Hello, Miss Diggory,” he said, beaming. ”Are you excited for the field trip?”

Text Cut: Zita

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

Hello, hello, hello!

Zita was here and she was seeming back to her normal confident self. She came down the steps of the entrance hall and joined the small group that had been gathering. She was about to go on a field trip and there was no way she was going to miss it, though if she was honest she didn't have any interest in the topic, but getting to go somewhere,
HELLO YES!


"Hi professor, I'm here and ready." Everyone can start now that she was here!

And another student had arrived. Good, good. As far as Gaston was concerned, the more, the merrier. He gave the Slytherin girl a warm smile. ”Good morning, Miss Valla,” he replied. Her next words earned an extra beam. ”Good, I'm glad to hear it!”

Text Cut: Emmalyn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birchwoodmom

Emmalyn bounded down to the entrance gate, eyes sparkling with excitement. She wasn't exactly sure what wandlore was all about, but they would be leaving the grounds by portkey and she had never done that before.

She skidded to a stop next to Daisy and gave her friend a little wave. "Hi. It's a great day, isn't it?" It was going to be an amazing day. "Good day, sir." She greeted while scanning the growing crowd. Spotting two of her new friends, Emmalyn bounced up and down a bit while giving another wave. "Hi Skylar! Hi Zita!"

She looked up towards the castle, hoping he would be attending the field trip as well. She should have just asked him while they were all in the common room, but she hadn't worked up the courage to.

Gaston watched as Emmalyn approached, immediately noticing her obvious enthusiasm. Something about her strangely reminded him of an excited puppy, and he had to cough to stifle a sudden attack of giggles. Was it weird that he found this so adorable? Regaining his composure, he beamed at the Hufflepuff. [b]”Hello, Miss Walsh,”[b] he greeted. ”I'm so glad you could come with us!”

Text Cut: Ronan

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazykitty

He wasn't really interested in wandlore per se, he just really wanted out of the castle and its grounds for awhile. After all, it had been awhile since the last Hogsmeade weekend. Anyway, Ronan was here, gear in tow.

"Hello, everyone!" he greeted. Was he the last to arrive? Or were there more Hogwartians coming?

Also, yes he was carrying his backpack, only now it held his packed lunch, a water bottle and a first aid kit instead of the usual books, parchment, etc.

Gaston checked his watch. It was almost time to leave, but he was going to wait a bit longer, just in case there were any stragglers. He was very glad he had as he saw Ronan arriving. He smiled at the boy, giving an approving nod as he noticed the backpack. Well, he certainly looked well-prepared! Good. ”Good morning, Mr. Carter,” he said. ”You're right on time!”

Text Cut: Kye

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dokimoto

Kye was quite excited to learn about wandlore, just afraid she wouldn't be able to take in all the information they would get! Wandlore was definitely a fascinating subject, and she would prefer a class in that over COMC or Divination... But oh well. Kye had packed her small backpack with anything she could think of, making sure not to forget writing supplies and chapstick. She could go through chapstick quicker than anyone she knew! It felt like a curse, but she preferred it over those that lost their chapstick halfway through the tube. She arrived at the entrance gates to find quite a bit of people had gotten there early, including her captain and her... uh... well, others. She smiled, she played it off as a greeting to Sky and everyone, but there was something else fueling it. Anything could happen today, couldn't it? For some reason, she was even happier to be going on this little excursion.

Gaston saw Kye arrive soon after Ronan, her presence reaffirming his decision to give the students a little extra arrival time. He returned her smile with a friendly one of his own. ”Hello, Miss Atwater,” he greeted. ”Nice to see you!”

Gaston eyed the path for a few moments. Only when he was sure nobody else was coming did he turn yo the group. Merlin, there were a lot fewer students than he'd expected! Oh well, no big deal… he could work with this group. ”Gather around, everyone!”

He gave the students time to huddle around him before continuing, ”Today we'll be going to the Caledonian Forest to learn about wand woods and the wood harvesting process,” he went on. ”Take a quick moment to make sure you have everything you need, and when you're ready, grab hold of the portkey…”

He picked up a shiny moss-covered rock that had been lying on the ground beside him - an item purposefully chosen because he thought the students might find it less disgusting to touch than a piece of trash - and held it out to the group. ”If you've never traveled by Portkey before, all you need to know is: touch this rock, and you'll be transported. Make sure you don't take your hand off of it until we've stopped!” That part was very important. ”The process can be a little disorienting if you aren't used to it. You may feel a little dizzy or nauseous for a few moments upon arrival; this won't last long. If you're scared, just stick close to me, and you'll be fine.”

”Everybody ready? HOLD ON!” The next thing Gaston knew, he was standing in the middle of the Caledonian Forest. He leaned against a nearby tree for a minute, waiting for the momentary dizziness to pass. Merlin, he hated portkey travel - but t was worth it to give his students a fun little adventure. His bright blue eyes scanned the area to make sure all of the students were safe and present. ”Welcome to the Caledonian Forest! Everyone, take a minute to recover from the portkey, and while you rest, answer this question: what kind of tree to you think produces good wand wood?”

OOC: Sorry for the delay! My Wi-Fi went out, so I couldn't post at the scheduled time. Anyway, we'll be moving on in ABOUT 24 HOURS (8AM EDT March 14). Feel free to join in if you haven't already; just pretend your charrie arrived in time to take the portkey.

Yes, it was technically morning still and he hoped the day could stretch just a tad. With all that's going on at home, he'd do anything to enjoy daylight and not be forced to think sad thoughts at night. For some reason, afternoons almost always gave a very melancholic vibe to the senior Ravenclaw and it wasn't a welcome emotion, in all honesty. Jace simply nodded and gave his bag a good pat. "Ready, sir." he'd read the notice carefully and followed everything that was written in the announcement. Other students filed in, and he sent them all a nod and a polite grin. He then sent a wave of his own towards Daisy.

Not really wanting to check his bag for the hundredth time, the senior student stepped aside to make room for the younger students as they check and re-check their belongings. While waiting, Jace almost made a face when they were told about the Portkey. Understanding the fact that they can't Disapparate from Hogwarts, Jace and the rest of his age-mates would have no choice but to travel through touching a charmed object.

And so, the travel began. After the hooking sensation was felt, everything else had been a blur. It only took them seconds for them to reach their destination, and the Ravenclaw was quick to steer away from someone who was likely to eject his or her breakfast. Choosing a tree nearby to lean on, the 18-year-old rummaged through his bag to get his water bottle and took a few sips from it to wet his mouth and gave Professor Marchand's question a little pondering. "I suppose it's sort of a trial and error thing, professor. But perhaps if you have a Bowtruckle with you, which is a magical creature and a tree guardian, it can help you tell which tree is wand wood material." But then again, that would be, in a way, cheating. For a real master wandmaker to tell which tree is a good material, it'd probably require an extraordinary gift by 'feeling' the tree as it gives off its vibration. "Or...maybe we can start off with what the Celts and Druids call Sacred Trees..." Thanks to learning Advanced Runes, Jace was able to read a thing or two about it.

This was Hufflepuff energy that Skylar could stand to be around; so pure and innocent. She smiled at the younger Hufflepuff who was just a ball of radiance.

"So ready." Not to mention wandlore was a fascinating subject; it wasn't necessarily in her top five career choices, but it was interesting nonetheless. That and getting away from this castle was pretty much high motivators that this would be a good day. And she hadn't even seen a certain sixth year Hufflepuff turn up yet.


She listened as he explained what would happen next; eh, going by portkey. Definitely not her preferred method of travel, as she recalled several years ago from a field trip some nausea. But she supposed it was too late to request to fly there. And maybe too long of a journey for a simple day trip; they hadn't said this would be an overnighter in the forest, after all.

Following his lead, she inhaled, exhaled, and touched the moss-covered rock, eyes closed tightly shut, hoping it might prevent any dizziness. Hint: It didn't. The moment she felt her feet touch the ground, she rolled over and wretched the little bit she ate for breakfast that morning. If she'd known they were traveling by portkey, she would have packed extra food in her lunch bag and skipped breakfast, but alas....

She did feel better though, as she gazed around the Forest from her spot on the ground. Because standing up was way too much effort now and she also still felt a little off. Listening to the Professor speak, she concentrated on her breathing, and thought about her own wand. It was pretty trusty for the last six years, so she would say that it made a good wand.

"There's tons of trees that produce a good wand wood, but I'm personally partial to those that come from the fir tree."

Rylee wasn't entirely sure what this wand wood class was all about but when she saw the flier for the field trip she had decided to check it out. With her backpack slung over her shoulder containing all the necessary items they were told to bring and then some, she joined the little group that had gathered down near the entrance gates. She greeted everyone the same way with a bright smile and wave.

She listened closely to what was said but not very much detail was given about the days trip. This only made her even more excited to see what was to come and she soon found herself bouncing on her feet until it was time to go. Without hesitation she moved closer and laid her hand on the moss-covered rock portkey. Only once had she traveled by portkey and it had NOT been the best. Just so she didn't get sick she would be happy.

Off they went! Rylee's feet hit the ground and she stumbled nearly falling over, the whole forest swirling around her. Leaning forward with her hands on her knees she took in several slow deep breaths until the dizziness and nausea passed. It took a few moments and by the time she was sure she wasn't about to lose her breakfast, Professor Marchand was asking them a question. What type of tree produced good wand wood? Uhhh... didn't most trees do this?

"I think it depends on the person and what they consider to be good... different trees produce different wand wood making them better at different things. Like my wand is made of English Oak and the magic within it is good with magic of the natural world... like herbology and care of magical creatures." It was also true that the core of her wand also helped with different aspects of magic but that hadn't been the question asked.

Luckily for him, Garreth had no shortage of experience traveling with portkeys, and his feet hit the forest floor with a gentle thud. He took a few rushed steps forward because of the momentum, but expertly stopped himself and turned around to glance towards the rest of the group. After a few short moments of recuperating, he spotted his friend Rylee struggling a bit with the after effects of the journey. Again, she reminded him of himself when he was her age, and he felt compelled to approach and place a hand on her shoulder. "You alright, Rylee?" he beamed at her, just needing to make sure she didn't get hurt during the transport.

"Like Rylee said, Professor Marchand." he began with a raised hand, looking up at the professor. "Different wood is good for different Wizards and Witches." he grabbed his own wand and raised it up just so the professor could see it. "Rosewood for me, Oak for Rylee, there's so many different wand-woods, it'd take all day to list them all." he smiled, phrasing his answer as an extension of Rylee's to bring more attention to hers. He knew how pleased he was when he received recognition from the professors for good answers, and he imagined Rylee felt the same. Returning his wand to its sleeve, he glanced down at his red-haired friend and gave a bright smile.

Woods, wands, yada yada. Natalie was still half asleep and as such almost forgot to grab onto the portkey. She had traveled by portkey before, but not with such a large group of people. And you know, most of the time she was more awake than this. She had a rough time sleeping the night before and therefore, was quite tired. Luckily though, Natalie grabbed onto the portkey and then...

.... she was on her butt. In the forest.

Did she black out? Merlin. Blinking, Natalie got back up and brushed her clothes off with a frown. She wasn't the only one who fell, right? With a sigh, Natalie regrouped with the others and listened to the professor as they were discussing what made good wand wood.

"Well, wands are easier to wield if they are made of flexible wood... I think. So... I mean, I don't know anything about trees, but I guess.. flexible trees are best?" Right? Maybe?

She reached out just in time to grab the portkey and felt a sudden sickening feeling as she spun though the air. The feeling was similar to her first ride on the tilt-a-whirl at the carnival. Not entirely pleasant, but not horrible. After landing with a thud, but thankfully on her feet, she leaned against the nearest tree until the world stopped spinning before her eyes. She grabbed a small peppermint out of her pocket, to help with the nausea, and popped it in her mouth.

The trees all around her were beautiful. She could smell the pine and cedar, along with several other woodsy smells. She looked up and all around, wondering what would make a good wand wood. "I think you would need a tree that's not too hard or too soft. It would need to be able to be shaped without breaking." She gently rubbed her hand up and down the bark of the tree she was leaning on. The rough layer outside hiding the smooth life inside. It was the trees protection and clothing of sorts.

She sometimes forgot how some people were not as privilaged as she was to travel and understand the feel of it. Without any hesitation, she took hold of the portkey with the cutest boys and off she went.

With a very graceful plop on the ground Z looked around the forest. She moved around a bit to look around as she listened to the professor and the others talk. Turning as she stopped to face him, "Well, of course, the wood is the best option for making the wand base, it's what people use for many things so it's practical. The type, on the other hand, is based on what you are using it for. Each form of tree makes it look different. Some people love oak, while others choose cherry for their fashion style of their homes. When it comes to wands I would think that part of it is for the look of the wand, wands need to work, but they also should be nice on the eyes and some wizards would prefer specific types."

Who cared about the flexibility of the wood or the properties, whether people admitted or not the way something looked was just as important.

Text Cut: Jace

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

Yes, it was technically morning still and he hoped the day could stretch just a tad. With all that's going on at home, he'd do anything to enjoy daylight and not be forced to think sad thoughts at night. For some reason, afternoons almost always gave a very melancholic vibe to the senior Ravenclaw and it wasn't a welcome emotion, in all honesty. Jace simply nodded and gave his bag a good pat. "Ready, sir." he'd read the notice carefully and followed everything that was written in the announcement. Other students filed in, and he sent them all a nod and a polite grin. He then sent a wave of his own towards Daisy.

Not really wanting to check his bag for the hundredth time, the senior student stepped aside to make room for the younger students as they check and re-check their belongings. While waiting, Jace almost made a face when they were told about the Portkey. Understanding the fact that they can't Disapparate from Hogwarts, Jace and the rest of his age-mates would have no choice but to travel through touching a charmed object.

And so, the travel began. After the hooking sensation was felt, everything else had been a blur. It only took them seconds for them to reach their destination, and the Ravenclaw was quick to steer away from someone who was likely to eject his or her breakfast. Choosing a tree nearby to lean on, the 18-year-old rummaged through his bag to get his water bottle and took a few sips from it to wet his mouth and gave Professor Marchand's question a little pondering. "I suppose it's sort of a trial and error thing, professor. But perhaps if you have a Bowtruckle with you, which is a magical creature and a tree guardian, it can help you tell which tree is wand wood material." But then again, that would be, in a way, cheating. For a real master wandmaker to tell which tree is a good material, it'd probably require an extraordinary gift by 'feeling' the tree as it gives off its vibration. "Or...maybe we can start off with what the Celts and Druids call Sacred Trees..." Thanks to learning Advanced Runes, Jace was able to read a thing or two about it.

Gaston smiled and gave Jacen an approving nod in reply as he saw him pat his bag, but there wasn’t much time for small talk. Soon they were off. He watched as the Ravenclaw appeared in the forest near him, poised to offer assistance, but he seemed to be handling the portkey travel incredibly well. He smiled, and that smile turned into a beam as he listened to the answer given.

“That’s very true,” he said. “It takes a long time to truly master the art of identifying wand woods, so there is a lot of trial and error, at least at first.” He nodded at what was said next. “Yes, bowtruckles are very helpful. If you happen to find one nesting in a tree, that’s always a good sign – or you could bring one along to help, as you suggested.” Just when the professor thought he couldn’t be more impressed, he brought up the Sacred Trees. “That’s a very good jumping-off point. We’ll go into specific types of trees later, but as a general rule, a tree with some sort of magical significance in any culture is a good wand wood.”

Text Cut: Skylar

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

This was Hufflepuff energy that Skylar could stand to be around; so pure and innocent. She smiled at the younger Hufflepuff who was just a ball of radiance.



"So ready." Not to mention wandlore was a fascinating subject; it wasn't necessarily in her top five career choices, but it was interesting nonetheless. That and getting away from this castle was pretty much high motivators that this would be a good day. And she hadn't even seen a certain sixth year Hufflepuff turn up yet.


She listened as he explained what would happen next; eh, going by portkey. Definitely not her preferred method of travel, as she recalled several years ago from a field trip some nausea. But she supposed it was too late to request to fly there. And maybe too long of a journey for a simple day trip; they hadn't said this would be an overnighter in the forest, after all.

Following his lead, she inhaled, exhaled, and touched the moss-covered rock, eyes closed tightly shut, hoping it might prevent any dizziness. Hint: It didn't. The moment she felt her feet touch the ground, she rolled over and wretched the little bit she ate for breakfast that morning. If she'd known they were traveling by portkey, she would have packed extra food in her lunch bag and skipped breakfast, but alas....

She did feel better though, as she gazed around the Forest from her spot on the ground. Because standing up was way too much effort now and she also still felt a little off. Listening to the Professor speak, she concentrated on her breathing, and thought about her own wand. It was pretty trusty for the last six years, so she would say that it made a good wand.

"There's tons of trees that produce a good wand wood, but I'm personally partial to those that come from the fir tree."

Gaston beamed at Skylar’s words, wishing he could give her more of a reply, but they had to be off. His dark head whipped around as the Slytherin appeared in the forest… and immediately threw up. He supposed it was bound to happen to at least one person. He rushed to her side, eying her with concern; he pulled a spare bottle of water out of his bag and handed it to her. “Here, try to drink some of this if you can,” he said, and his voice dropped as he added, “If you still feel sick after a few minutes, I have an anti-nausea potion.”

Her answer to the question earned an approving nod. “Very good, Miss Diggory,” he said. “Fir makes excellent wands.”

Text Cut: Rylee & Garreth

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Rylee wasn't entirely sure what this wand wood class was all about but when she saw the flier for the field trip she had decided to check it out. With her backpack slung over her shoulder containing all the necessary items they were told to bring and then some, she joined the little group that had gathered down near the entrance gates. She greeted everyone the same way with a bright smile and wave.

She listened closely to what was said but not very much detail was given about the days trip. This only made her even more excited to see what was to come and she soon found herself bouncing on her feet until it was time to go. Without hesitation she moved closer and laid her hand on the moss-covered rock portkey. Only once had she traveled by portkey and it had NOT been the best. Just so she didn't get sick she would be happy.

Off they went! Rylee's feet hit the ground and she stumbled nearly falling over, the whole forest swirling around her. Leaning forward with her hands on her knees she took in several slow deep breaths until the dizziness and nausea passed. It took a few moments and by the time she was sure she wasn't about to lose her breakfast, Professor Marchand was asking them a question. What type of tree produced good wand wood? Uhhh... didn't most trees do this?

"I think it depends on the person and what they consider to be good... different trees produce different wand wood making them better at different things. Like my wand is made of English Oak and the magic within it is good with magic of the natural world... like herbology and care of magical creatures." It was also true that the core of her wand also helped with different aspects of magic but that hadn't been the question asked.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Compootor

Luckily for him, Garreth had no shortage of experience traveling with portkeys, and his feet hit the forest floor with a gentle thud. He took a few rushed steps forward because of the momentum, but expertly stopped himself and turned around to glance towards the rest of the group. After a few short moments of recuperating, he spotted his friend Rylee struggling a bit with the after effects of the journey. Again, she reminded him of himself when he was her age, and he felt compelled to approach and place a hand on her shoulder. "You alright, Rylee?" he beamed at her, just needing to make sure she didn't get hurt during the transport.

"Like Rylee said, Professor Marchand." he began with a raised hand, looking up at the professor. "Different wood is good for different Wizards and Witches." he grabbed his own wand and raised it up just so the professor could see it. "Rosewood for me, Oak for Rylee, there's so many different wand-woods, it'd take all day to list them all." he smiled, phrasing his answer as an extension of Rylee's to bring more attention to hers. He knew how pleased he was when he received recognition from the professors for good answers, and he imagined Rylee felt the same. Returning his wand to its sleeve, he glanced down at his red-haired friend and gave a bright smile.

And another student who seemed to be having trouble with portkey travel. Gaston saw Rylee stumble and lean forward and quickly sidled over to him, but someone else (Garreth) beat him to it. He gave him a very appreciative smile, but for now, his attention was focused on the girl. “That’s it, just relax for a few minutes,” he said with a reassuring look. “It’ll be better soon. Do you feel like you’re going to be sick?” He already had one hand in his bag, ready to produce water or anti-nausea potion at a moment’s notice.

Only when he was sure Rylee was alright did he turn to Garreth. “Thank you for helping her, Mr. Kenway,” he said, beaming. “Three points to Ravenclaw for your kindness.”

Gaston listened intently to Rylee’s answer, nodding along in places. “Thank you for sharing some details about your wand with us, Miss Prichard,” he said, smiling a little. She was a bit ahead of the game there! “And you’re correct; different people are suited to different types of wand woods.”

Moments later, Garreth said something along the same lines, and he too earned an approving smile from the professor. “So you agree with Miss Prichard, then? Very good.”

Text Cut: Natalie

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

Woods, wands, yada yada. Natalie was still half asleep and as such almost forgot to grab onto the portkey. She had traveled by portkey before, but not with such a large group of people. And you know, most of the time she was more awake than this. She had a rough time sleeping the night before and therefore, was quite tired. Luckily though, Natalie grabbed onto the portkey and then...

.... she was on her butt. In the forest.

Did she black out? Merlin. Blinking, Natalie got back up and brushed her clothes off with a frown. She wasn't the only one who fell, right? With a sigh, Natalie regrouped with the others and listened to the professor as they were discussing what made good wand wood.

"Well, wands are easier to wield if they are made of flexible wood... I think. So... I mean, I don't know anything about trees, but I guess.. flexible trees are best?" Right? Maybe?

Blink, blink. Was Gaston just imagining things, or did Natalie seem unusually tired today? He hoped she wouldn’t be too sleepy to focus on the field trip, but unfortunately, that seemed to be the case, as he couldn’t help but notice she almost forgot to touch the portkey. He was about to order her to grab on, but she did just in the nick of time.

His blue eyes landed on the Slytherin girl just in time to see her fall. He was at her side in moments, but by the time he appeared, she was already picking herself up. “Are you alright, Miss McKinley?” he asked, his eyes wide with worry. “You didn’t hurt yourself, did you?” Once again, he reached into his bag, poised to grab any needed supplies.

He nodded in reply to her answer; she wasn’t wrong. “That stands to reason, Miss McKinley,” he said. “Wands come in a variety of flexibilities and are matched according to the recipient’s ability to adapt to change, but yes, all wands must have some degree of flexibility to be usable.”

Text Cut: Emmalyn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birchwoodmom

She reached out just in time to grab the portkey and felt a sudden sickening feeling as she spun though the air. The feeling was similar to her first ride on the tilt-a-whirl at the carnival. Not entirely pleasant, but not horrible. After landing with a thud, but thankfully on her feet, she leaned against the nearest tree until the world stopped spinning before her eyes. She grabbed a small peppermint out of her pocket, to help with the nausea, and popped it in her mouth.

The trees all around her were beautiful. She could smell the pine and cedar, along with several other woodsy smells. She looked up and all around, wondering what would make a good wand wood. "I think you would need a tree that's not too hard or too soft. It would need to be able to be shaped without breaking." She gently rubbed her hand up and down the bark of the tree she was leaning on. The rough layer outside hiding the smooth life inside. It was the trees protection and clothing of sorts.

Gaston was a little worried about how Emmalyn might react to portkey travel, but to his pleasant surprise, she recovered remarkably quickly. He supposed she might’ve done this before… Still slightly concerned, he gave the Hufflepuff an encouraging smile. “Alright there, Miss Walsh?” he asked.

Here was another student on the right track! His smile turned into a beam as he watched her touching the bark of a nearby tree. “That’s a great guess,” he replied. “Although wands come in many different types of wood – some hard, some soft – it’s true that the wood must be able to be shaped without breaking. Nice job, Miss Walsh.”

Text Cut: Zita

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bazinga

She sometimes forgot how some people were not as privilaged as she was to travel and understand the feel of it. Without any hesitation, she took hold of the portkey with the cutest boys and off she went.

With a very graceful plop on the ground Z looked around the forest. She moved around a bit to look around as she listened to the professor and the others talk. Turning as she stopped to face him, "Well, of course, the wood is the best option for making the wand base, it's what people use for many things so it's practical. The type, on the other hand, is based on what you are using it for. Each form of tree makes it look different. Some people love oak, while others choose cherry for their fashion style of their homes. When it comes to wands I would think that part of it is for the look of the wand, wands need to work, but they also should be nice on the eyes and some wizards would prefer specific types."

Who cared about the flexibility of the wood or the properties, whether people admitted or not the way something looked was just as important.

Gaston smiled as he watched Zita make her entrance. He had to admit, this was the most graceful appearance he’d seen so far! Clearly she had some past experience with portkey travel, and it was nice to have at least one student he didn’t have to worry about getting injured.

At first, he wasn’t sure what the Slytherin was going for as he listened to her answer, but the more he heard, the more sense it make. He nodded. “A very eloquent answer, Miss Valla,” he said. Not necessarily what he had in mind, but he’d asked what she thought. It was a valid opinion and not far from the truth. “I’m sure appearance plays some part in choosing a wand wood.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He paused a moment to give the students more time to answer. When nobody else spoke up, he addressed the group again. "Excellent job, all of you. Everyone who answered the question gets two house points," he said. "As some of you mentioned -" Sidelong glance at Garreth and Rylee. "- part of identifying good wand woods comes from understanding the intended recipient. Certain types of wood complement certain types of personalities, but there are some general things we look for in harvesting wand woods..."

He gave the students time to absorb the information before going on, "These include magical properties - as Mr. Reed mentioned earlier." He inclined his head toward the Ravenclaw. "Trees that are known to have magical usage, history, or those that are home to a bowtruckle or other magical creature."

"Then there's appearance-" Approving glance at Zita. "- not strictly in the sense of being pleasant to look at, but a good wand tree should look full and healthy. No weak or scrawny trunk; no rot or fungus; few, if any, dead leaves; no branches growing crooked or at an unnatural angle -"

"-Flexibility and strength-" he continued, beaming at Natalie and Emmalyn in turn. "A good wand wood should be durable enough to shape but not so stiff as to be unwieldy." He touched a nearby oak tree. "A good wand tree should feel firm to the touch, not brittle or spongy-"

"-and there's one more factor that wasn't already mentioned: the tree's level of maturity," he explained. "While it's possible to make a wand from a young tree, their magic is more unpredictable than their older counterparts."

He paused a moment before continuing, "Now, with these things in mind, we're going to go on a short hike to a spot where we'll take a lunch break. Along the way, keep an eye out for trees you think would make good wands - and maybe some that wouldn't make so good wands. When you find a tree you think would make either a good or bad wand, point it out to us and explain your reasoning."

Last but not least... "Please stick together, but if you do get lost-" Merlin, he couldn't believe he was saying this! "-send up red sparks with your wand, and we'll find you. The spell is periculum." His hand trembled slightly as he pointed his wand to the sky to demonstrate the spell. He adjusted his bag. "Follow me, everyone!"

OOC: That post took a lot longer to write than I thought, sorry! Anyway, as Gaston said, all you have to do is follow along and point out any good/bad wand trees you find. Point out as many as you can/want! We'll move on again in 32-36 HOURS (8 pm EDT March 15-12 AM EDT March 16)

She turned and nodded at Professor Marchand. “Just fine, sir, thank you. The spinning as stopped.” Leaning her back against the tree, she listened to the professor talk about the different answers and grinned a bit when he said she was at least on the right track. She hadn’t thought about the age of the tree, but that did stand to reason. It would be quite difficult to make a wand out of a young sapling. An older tree would be stronger, more developed, and most likely have more power within.

Excited to be venturing further into the woods, Emmalyn shouldered her pack and started forward. Her path wandered to the left of the group just a bit. Her eyes were focused on a tree just a few meters before her. It was familiar and she needed to get a closer look. As she approached, she had a sudden flashback of her childhood home. “That’s a cypress tree!” She exclaimed as she gently touched the bark. She inhaled the spicy piney aroma. “This cypress tree would be good for a wand. From its size, I think it’s a more mature tree.” She let her fingers run along the needles, smoothing them in their natural direction. It was a beautiful tree.

The next tree that caught her attention was quite large as compared to the cypress. Her eyes scanned up up up, looking for the top. “Oh” she whispered as her feet carried her towards the trunk, further away from the rest of the group. She could still hear the other students talking, so she knew she wasn’t too far away. This tree was very different from the first she spoke of. The base of the tree was much wider than she and the long soft needles were difficult to prick. “I think this is a cedar tree.” She inhaled deeply again, taking in the aroma of her grandmother’s closet. “Yes, a cedar. It’s an old cedar too. Look how big it is!” She hoped the professor could hear her from where she stood. She could still see him in her line of sight, so she assumed he could also see her. “This tree would also make a good wand. It’s large, so I bet a lot of wands could be made out of it. Although, does it matter how high the wood comes from? Wouldn’t the taller parts of the tree have younger wood that’s less desirable than towards the base of the tree? Um, also, doesn’t cedar repel bugs? I guess that would be a good quality as well. You wouldn’t need to worry about a bug getting on your wand.” She giggled at the statement.

She paused a moment to take down notes on the first few trees she named before continuing her trek forward, deeper into the woods and closer to their lunch destination. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of lunch. Between the portkey excitement and all the walking, her appetite had grown. Hearing the group move further, she adjusted her course towards the rest of the students. Just a few steps later, she found herself flat on her face. “Ouch.” She sat up and brushed the dirt off her hands and knees, noticing what she had tripped over. “Well, this young sapling, that I just tripped over, looks like a holly tree. It’s very young and flexible, not hardly thick enough at its widest part to make a wand. I don’t think this would be a good choice at all. Far too young and soft to make a wand. " She picked herself up off the ground after taking notes on the holly tree and more carefully headed towards the rest of the group.

No, he was not imagining things. Natalie almost considered forgoing the field trip, but she thought some fresh air and new information would do her some good. And who knew - maybe she would find a new fascination in wandlore? It was... unlikely. But not impossible!

Oh, Professor Marchand was right there, hello. She appreciated his quickness to attend to her, but she didn't seem to have hurt herself too bad. It was nice that he was prepared, though. "I'm alright," she reassured him, picking a few pine needles off her sweater. "Just hurt me bum is all." And, you know... there wasn't much he could do about that.

Class moved on, thankfully, and her own answer didn't seem to be too far off. But that was about the extent of her knowledge of trees, wood, wands and the like. The rest of the field trip would likely be brand new information. Not wanting to get lost, Natalie followed closely behind Marchand as he began walking through the forest.

What trees would or wouldn't make good wands? "Probably not that one," she muttered quietly as they passed a fallen tree. Really, though... Cedar? She didn't know what cedar trees looked like or what oak trees looked like. They were all TREES.

Daisy looked at Emmalyn in amazement. How did she know the names of all the different trees? Maybe her friend wanted to be a wandmaker in the future. The third year was having trouble and it was frustrating her as the group walked through the forest. She let out a grunt of anger.

Considering Professor Marchand's expounded explanation of his answer, Jace was quite pleased with himself by the fact that his logical reasoning did not fail. He'd listened carefully to the rest of the answers thrown the man's way, taking in useful information, and discarding those that didn't make much sense to him. It's not as if he was going to make a living out of wand-making anyway, so the information was filed somewhere else in his brain as he joined the others in walking, patting Garreth on the shoulder to say a quiet 'hello' and walked alongside him and the first year Gryffindor Rylee.

The probability of a lost student in the woods earned Professor Marchand a glance. If it did happen, he's got a bunch of seventh years to help him out. Also...perhaps it'd be a good idea for the senior students to look out after the younger ones. Merlin, Jace knew Professor Marchand would beat himself up to a pulp if something happened to them.

And so while they made their way to a clearing of some sort, Jace kept an eye out for good trees and discreetly watched out for those too adventurous kids who might wander too far. As he adjusted the bag on his back, Jace stopped short and took a few steps away from the group to touch one of the old looking trees. "I...don't believe it. It's a Gingko tree...here in a European forest!" Again, it was another small taste of home. He really was nearing the end of his Hogwarts career. Japan's calling him back, that's for sure. Releasing his negative chi through his outstretched arm, he pressed his palm against the ancient tree's trunk, and he could swear he felt a vibration. A good one. It was as him it was trying to ease his mind...healing him from within. Feeling the heat form between his palm and the trunk, Jace carefully retracted his arm back and rejoined the group.

"Gingko trees would be a good candidate professor," he started jogging back up near the man, "It's a timeless tree, and it grows more majestic over time." Jace had a smile on his face as he continued, "There's this story from my home in Japan about it, and I think it would cement the idea of strength, resilience, and...perhaps its magical powers should a wand be made out of it." the Ravenclaw paused as he looked over his shoulder to take a glance at it again. "During the wake of the second muggle world war, everything else was destroyed by a huge bomb except for the Gingko trees. They were the only living thing that survived the impact. Even physics can't explain how it didn't get destroyed when it was so near the epicenter..." he trailed off, as he looked ahead. "No wonder they are considered sacred in my home country. Monks love it." Jace gave a shrug and a chuckle, "Perhaps even dinosaurs had a grand time eating off its top leaves if it can survive for ages..."

Text Cut: Emmalyn

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birchwoodmom

She turned and nodded at Professor Marchand. “Just fine, sir, thank you. The spinning as stopped.” Leaning her back against the tree, she listened to the professor talk about the different answers and grinned a bit when he said she was at least on the right track. She hadn’t thought about the age of the tree, but that did stand to reason. It would be quite difficult to make a wand out of a young sapling. An older tree would be stronger, more developed, and most likely have more power within.

Excited to be venturing further into the woods, Emmalyn shouldered her pack and started forward. Her path wandered to the left of the group just a bit. Her eyes were focused on a tree just a few meters before her. It was familiar and she needed to get a closer look. As she approached, she had a sudden flashback of her childhood home. “That’s a cypress tree!” She exclaimed as she gently touched the bark. She inhaled the spicy piney aroma. “This cypress tree would be good for a wand. From its size, I think it’s a more mature tree.” She let her fingers run along the needles, smoothing them in their natural direction. It was a beautiful tree.

The next tree that caught her attention was quite large as compared to the cypress. Her eyes scanned up up up, looking for the top. “Oh” she whispered as her feet carried her towards the trunk, further away from the rest of the group. She could still hear the other students talking, so she knew she wasn’t too far away. This tree was very different from the first she spoke of. The base of the tree was much wider than she and the long soft needles were difficult to prick. “I think this is a cedar tree.” She inhaled deeply again, taking in the aroma of her grandmother’s closet. “Yes, a cedar. It’s an old cedar too. Look how big it is!” She hoped the professor could hear her from where she stood. She could still see him in her line of sight, so she assumed he could also see her. “This tree would also make a good wand. It’s large, so I bet a lot of wands could be made out of it. Although, does it matter how high the wood comes from? Wouldn’t the taller parts of the tree have younger wood that’s less desirable than towards the base of the tree? Um, also, doesn’t cedar repel bugs? I guess that would be a good quality as well. You wouldn’t need to worry about a bug getting on your wand.” She giggled at the statement.

She paused a moment to take down notes on the first few trees she named before continuing her trek forward, deeper into the woods and closer to their lunch destination. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of lunch. Between the portkey excitement and all the walking, her appetite had grown. Hearing the group move further, she adjusted her course towards the rest of the students. Just a few steps later, she found herself flat on her face. “Ouch.” She sat up and brushed the dirt off her hands and knees, noticing what she had tripped over. “Well, this young sapling, that I just tripped over, looks like a holly tree. It’s very young and flexible, not hardly thick enough at its widest part to make a wand. I don’t think this would be a good choice at all. Far too young and soft to make a wand. " She picked herself up off the ground after taking notes on the holly tree and more carefully headed towards the rest of the group.

Gaston gave Emmalyn a small smile as she told him the spinning had stopped. "That's always a good sign," he replied. He wouldn't want her to be too dizzy to go on their hike! He set off down the path ahead, looking back every so often to make sure no one was getting separated from the group... especially the younger ones. He noticed the Hufflepuff wandering a little to the left, and his eyes lingered on her for moment with a concerned look.

Before he could worry too much about her getting lost, she was pointing out a nearby cypress tree. "Very good, Miss Walsh!" he said. "That tree looks like it would make an excellent wand! Cypress wands are associated with nobility and best matched with someone who is brave and self-sacrificing. As a matter of interest, Remus Lupin, hero of the Second Wizarding War, had a cypress wand."

He was about to award house points for Emmalyn's answer when she drew his attention to a cedar tree. Wow, this girl certainly knew her trees! He was impressed. "Correct again," he said. "Cedar wands tend to favor those who are perceptive and not easily fooled. You're right about it being large enough to make multiple wands, and to answer your question, it doesn't usually matter how high the wood comes from, as long as the base of the tree is mature." He couldn't help but laugh a little as she mentioned cedar repelling bugs. "Very true. Nobody wants a bug on their wand!"

His dark head whipped around as he heard her say "ouch", and his bright blue eyes widened with worry. He rushed to her side, offering her one hand to help her up while his other reached into his bag. But she was already picking herself up. "Oh, dear! Are you hurt?" he asked. It didn't appear so, as she was talking about the holly sapling she'd tripped over. "Definitely not a good wand tree!" he agreed. "And you're right; it is a holly tree. Holly wands are considered protective and usually pair with someone impetuous with a tendency to anger. Harry potter himself had a holly wand." He beamed at her. "Three points to Hufflepuff for your answer, and take an extra point for sharing your extensive knowledge of trees."

Text Cut: Natalie

Quote:

Originally Posted by sarahlooo

No, he was not imagining things. Natalie almost considered forgoing the field trip, but she thought some fresh air and new information would do her some good. And who knew - maybe she would find a new fascination in wandlore? It was... unlikely. But not impossible!

Oh, Professor Marchand was right there, hello. She appreciated his quickness to attend to her, but she didn't seem to have hurt herself too bad. It was nice that he was prepared, though. "I'm alright," she reassured him, picking a few pine needles off her sweater. "Just hurt me bum is all." And, you know... there wasn't much he could do about that.

Class moved on, thankfully, and her own answer didn't seem to be too far off. But that was about the extent of her knowledge of trees, wood, wands and the like. The rest of the field trip would likely be brand new information. Not wanting to get lost, Natalie followed closely behind Marchand as he began walking through the forest.

What trees would or wouldn't make good wands? "Probably not that one," she muttered quietly as they passed a fallen tree. Really, though... Cedar? She didn't know what cedar trees looked like or what oak trees looked like. They were all TREES.

The concern written all over Gaston's face lessened upon hearing that Natalie hadn't been injured (at least not seriously) when she fell. "Oh, okay," he replied, and his voice dropped as he added, "If it still hurts when we stop for lunch, just let me know and I'll give you a pillow to sit on."

As he lead the way farther into the forest, he thought he heard someone mutter something, and he looked back at the Slytherin. "Certainly not that one," he said. "Good job, Miss McKinley; three points to Slytherin for your answer." He studied the fallen tree for a minute. "Hmm... this looks like an elm. Elm wands are best matched to a person with innate dignity and magical dexterity. Some people once believed that only pureblood wizards and witches could produce magic with an elm wand, and they were highly sought-after by those wanting to prove their blood status - this belief is, of course, complete nonsense."

Text Cut: Daisy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ginevra

Daisy looked at Emmalyn in amazement. How did she know the names of all the different trees? Maybe her friend wanted to be a wandmaker in the future. The third year was having trouble and it was frustrating her as the group walked through the forest. She let out a grunt of anger.

Gaston looked back as he ventured on. He gave Daisy an encouraging smile, but that smile vanished and turned to worry as he heard her grunt. Was everything okay? Was she hurt? Having trouble keeping up? Hanging back slightly, he sidled over to her. "Are you doing okay, Miss Swann?" he asked, looking at her with concern. "it's not much farther now, but we can stop and take a break if you need to."

Text Cut: Jace

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stefan

Considering Professor Marchand's expounded explanation of his answer, Jace was quite pleased with himself by the fact that his logical reasoning did not fail. He'd listened carefully to the rest of the answers thrown the man's way, taking in useful information, and discarding those that didn't make much sense to him. It's not as if he was going to make a living out of wand-making anyway, so the information was filed somewhere else in his brain as he joined the others in walking, patting Garreth on the shoulder to say a quiet 'hello' and walked alongside him and the first year Gryffindor Rylee.

The probability of a lost student in the woods earned Professor Marchand a glance. If it did happen, he's got a bunch of seventh years to help him out. Also...perhaps it'd be a good idea for the senior students to look out after the younger ones. Merlin, Jace knew Professor Marchand would beat himself up to a pulp if something happened to them.

And so while they made their way to a clearing of some sort, Jace kept an eye out for good trees and discreetly watched out for those too adventurous kids who might wander too far. As he adjusted the bag on his back, Jace stopped short and took a few steps away from the group to touch one of the old looking trees. "I...don't believe it. It's a Gingko tree...here in a European forest!" Again, it was another small taste of home. He really was nearing the end of his Hogwarts career. Japan's calling him back, that's for sure. Releasing his negative chi through his outstretched arm, he pressed his palm against the ancient tree's trunk, and he could swear he felt a vibration. A good one. It was as him it was trying to ease his mind...healing him from within. Feeling the heat form between his palm and the trunk, Jace carefully retracted his arm back and rejoined the group.

"Gingko trees would be a good candidate professor," he started jogging back up near the man, "It's a timeless tree, and it grows more majestic over time." Jace had a smile on his face as he continued, "There's this story from my home in Japan about it, and I think it would cement the idea of strength, resilience, and...perhaps its magical powers should a wand be made out of it." the Ravenclaw paused as he looked over his shoulder to take a glance at it again. "During the wake of the second muggle world war, everything else was destroyed by a huge bomb except for the Gingko trees. They were the only living thing that survived the impact. Even physics can't explain how it didn't get destroyed when it was so near the epicenter..." he trailed off, as he looked ahead. "No wonder they are considered sacred in my home country. Monks love it." Jace gave a shrug and a chuckle, "Perhaps even dinosaurs had a grand time eating off its top leaves if it can survive for ages..."

Gaston couldn't help but notice the look Jace gave him when he mentioned the possibility of someone getting lost and gave him a small reassuring smile. He doubted that would happen - he trusted his students to have enough common sense not to go wandering off alone- and if it did, he would be able to find them pretty fast if they sent up red sparks. The announcement was more of a precaution than anything else.

The hike was almost over when the Ravenclaw's voice caused him to turn around. Blink, blink. Did he just say a ginko tree? Here? He looked around, and sure enough, he saw the tree in question. He couldn't blame the boy's surprise; gingko trees weren't exactly indigenous to Scotland. Pushing his questions of how the tree got here out of his mind, he listened to Jace's answer. "That stands to reason, Mr. Reed," he said, nodding approvingly. "I don't personally know of anyone with a gingko wand - do you know if they're commonly used in Japan?" His knowledge of Japanese culture was fairly limited. "But based on the looks of this tree and the information you've given, I'd say it would make a fine wand wood." The story he told about the Japanese gingko trees earned him a beam fromthe professor. "What a beautiful story! Three points to Ravenclaw for you answer and one extra point for sharing that story with us."

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Gaston stopped as he came to a quiet spot int he middle of the forest. There was a fallen log sprawled across the ground and a few stumps nearby. With a wave of his wand, he transfigured the log into a bench. Another wave turned the stumps into stools, and one last flick of his wand cast a nonverbal cushioning charm. There, that should make things more comfortable for the students! "We'll stop here for lunch," he addressed the group.

He took a seat on one of the stools and opened his bag. "If anyone forgot their packed lunch, I have extra food in here." He took out his own lunch - a croissant sandwich, a small cup of fruit, bottled water, and a slice of opera cake for dessert - and set it aside for a moment as he produced several energy bars and packets of trail mix. "Here's also some snacks to share; help yourselves, everyone!" This was the guy who never held a class without providing some sort of refreshment, remember?

"So far, we've established that different wand woods match well with different personalities, and we went over a few of those matches already," he went on. "While we're eating, I'd like you to take a look at your own wand, and tell us what kind of wood it's made of and what you think that wood says about you." He paused to give time for the instructions to sink in. "I'll start..." He picked up his wand and turned it over in his hand. "My wand is made of beech, which tends to favor people who are tolerant and rich in understanding. When this wand is matched with a young person-" Which had been the case when he got it back when he was a child. "-it means they are wise beyond their years." Was it weird that he felt like he was bragging by saying that? He never felt wise beyond his years, but maybe his wand saw something in him that he didn't.

OOC: You have ABOUT 24 HOURS (11 PM EDT March 16) to participate in this discussion. Then we'll start the main activity.

"Thank you, sir." she stated as she eagerly followed Professor Marchand to the lunch destination. Her grumbling stomach signaling to all around her that food was needed. Spotting a rather comfy looking spot at the end of the bench, she made her way over and took a seat. In her backpack was a simple brown paper bagged lunch. A pumpkin butter sandwich, two apples (one red and one green), mustard pretzels, and two gigantic double chocolate chip muffins. Her water bottle was in the outside pocket of her backpack, filled with raspberry lemon water. She slowly sank her teeth into her sandwich, letting the spicy pumpkin butter flavor spread across her tongue. It tasted heavenly after the mornings walk. “I have an extra double chocolate chip muffin if anyone would like it.”

She listened to the professor as she ate her lunch. Making sure to jot down notes here and there. Then Professor Marchand said he had a beech wand. Just like hers!! In her excitement to pull her beech wand out of her pocket, she almost dumped her lunch on the ground. Thankfully, she was able to grab the edge of her napkin just in time to save her food. “My wand is made out of beech as well! Although, I sure don’t feel very wise. I hope my wand says I have potential. That maybe some day I'll be a great witch." She really didn't know what else to say about her wand and why it had chosen her. " Do you think there are any beech trees out here? I’d love to see one up close.” That would be a treat. She also wondered if her wand would recognize being next to a tree of the same wood. Could that happen? She had felt the wands power when she first held it in her hand, maybe it would have the same sort of reaction being next to a tree family member.

Daisy sighed sadly. "It is just that I have very little knowledge of these trees and whether or not they'll be of use as wands compared to others in the group. I feel a bit stupid."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daisy sat down next to Emmalyn and grabbed her lunchbox from her bag with contained a small potato salad with a small fork to eat it with, a nice, ripe banana and a bottle of lemonade. She slowly ate her first mouthful of salad and then swallowed a mouthful of drink ready to answer the question.

"My wand is made of rosewood. It has an air of gracefulness especially when paired by cores such as unicorn hair like mine is and is suitable for Charm work which is something I'm quite skilled at."

It was quite strange to get random points nowadays, given that it was a form of reward to encourage a certain behavior from a child. Not that he didn't appreciate the points, but the manner it was done; announcing it and everything made him cringe a bit. Anyway, he had to agree that the story was a good one; his Japanese grandparents told him that story time and again, every time they visit temples and shrines during certain festivals.

Common? Jace shook his head. "I've attended Mahoutokoro as a day student before, and most of my peers and teachers own western wands, and Japanese Pine wands. But if Cherry wands are rare and prized back home, I'm sure Gingko wands are rarer. It's too sacred in our culture..." It wasn't just a tree, but something that is really really special mainly because it has survived centuries and has witnessed so much history. Will the Gingko tree be so willing to offer a branch to a mere mortal? Jace didn't think so.

The senior Ravenclaw watched the fallen trees transfigure into benches and chairs, and picked a nice comfy spot near the two Hufflepuffs Emmalyn and Daisy. He too took his lunch, out from his bag and began to unwrap his first Onigiri. It wasn't as good as his mother's or grandmother's, but it'll do. The Ravenclaw took a moment to eat his food and listened to the discussion being held. After finishing his first serving of rice ball, Jace took his wand out from his shirt sleeve and gave it a good look. Before leaving Japan for his first year in Hogwarts, the piece of magical equipment in his hand was the last thing he got before crossing the seven seas. It was a memorable moment when the Cherry wand chose him. His mother, brother, and grandparents were present when it all happened. They were all very happy and proud...and he was very weirded out by it. If only he knew better at that time.

"Mine's made of Cherry wood, and it was said that this wand wood holds great power, no matter what the core." After years of owning it, Jace still couldn't believe that it chose him. It was highly prized amongst his peers, and in return, they expect him to do great things with it for he was held in high prestige, both by his family and friends back home. "I was told by my grandmother that cherry wood, in general, tends to change its color from a bright tone to a darker one. In the case of wand wood, it reflects the owner's mastery of it." It had been bright blood red before, and now it has gradually changed to a darker shade. "I was told by the wandmaker who sold me this that I should be careful with it because of its power...and I should not engage in duels too much because it isn't known to be a loyal wand. It can backfire if I haven't mastered it fully, and it won't accept me again as its owner if I fail it." Quite a dramatic wand, really. It was funny too that it resonated his principles in life as well. How many times has he questioned his involvement, or rather lack of involvement in the Dueling Club? He'd made so many excuses for himself to not join, thinking that it wasn't necessary...that there were other means to practice spells. "But I was assured in the end that it can be a powerful and loyal ally if I became a true master of it."