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Terry walks in and sit down in front of the professor's desk. She has promised herself that no matter what the professor says, she is not going to lose her temper this time even if the stress kills her. "Professor Fox, I'm having some problems with your puzzles. To be perfectly honest, I haven't been unable to discover how you even begin to decypher them. I've looked at every puzzle book in the library and thought I had discovered what kind of puzzle they are. They look similar to a cryptogram. I tried to solve the second one using information I discovered in a book on these puzzles, and then Erica posted the solution for the first puzzle, and the words did not match the way the letters were arranged. That is a definite feature of a cryptogram puzzle. The directions I found also made no mention of the space holders. I was wondering professor when the contest is over if you would hold a class either this term or next term and teach us how to decypher these kind of puzzles. I'd really like to learn how to do them." |
Professor Fox listened politely then nodded. "Ah yes, well don't worry at all Ms. Weasley that is a very common mistake to make with the puzzles. Indeed, when I was your age I had the hardest time with puzzles. The first puzzle you see was not a cryptogram, but rather a method to encrypt regular words and phrases. This specific method is known as a transposition cipher, and the solution and encryption is completely independent of whether the letters have spaces between them or not." He stopped and putting his glasses on he stood up and walke dover to the board. Tapping it with his wand, the coontents of the board seemed to disappear. Professor Fox then began drawing with a piece of chalk while explaining the first puzzle. "Space holders Ms. Weasley are simply letters whose intent is to confuse or to make the total number of letters in the puzzle a certain specific number, in this case, 44. How you solve transposition puzzles is by finding the number of letters and then writing them up and down in columns such as the following." He then wrote on the board. Quote:
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Terry watches as the professor writes the puzzle out on his chaulk board and proceeds to decypher it. She is amazed at how simple it is to do. "I'm totally stumped professor. I think my biggest problem was I was making it more complicated than it was. Thank you for explaining it to me." She writes down the information off of the board. "No professor, I don't think I have any other questions. May I leave now. I need to get ready for class. Thank you again for the help." |
Professor Fox nodded. "Well, I don't think you were having any more difficulty with it than any other student. It takes a while to get used to this kind of problem solving, where half the problem is discovering what the problem really is." He sighed tiredly, "At any rate Ms. Weasley you may certainly go, I will see you in class." |
Alairyse knocks on the door softly and waits for an answer. |
Professor Fox continued his work and hearing the knock at the door said, "Yes, please come in." The door seemed to almost lift off its hinges for the ease it moved open. |
Alairyse stepped quickly into the class room. "Hello Professor. I know I haven't attended any of you classes yet, but I'm very interested in arithmancy, so is there anyway I would be able do some extra work or something so I would be ready for your next class?"she asked timidly. |
Professor Fox looked at the student for a moment then spoke. "Well, the best thing for you to do would simply be to attend the future lessons. Often we cover a review of previous lessons to refresh everyone's mind about the subject. At any rate most students are new to the material we are covering so you shouldn't find yourself too far behind. Was there anything else?" He added thoughtfully. |
Alairyse thinks for a moment before answering, "Maybe a little help on the puzzles. I understand how to get the first one, but i don't understand the next two, or was that something learned in the previous lessons?" |
Erica slowly and leisurely made her way down the Arithmancy corridor to the professor's office. She wasn't in a rush to get her business done today and would often stop and glance at the portraits that lined the hallway on her way down. When she reached the office door, she stared at it for a moment, as if seeing it for the first time, and quietly knocked on it. |
Professor Fox nodded. "Well, the puzzles are extra credit you see. As a result, they have not been covered within any of the classes. If you would like help on them or to discuss ideas, there is a classroom where students may discuss Arithmancy topics in general and the puzzles among their own housemates. So I would encourage you to work on the puzzles with your fellow gryffindors in the room. Was that all?" Hearing the knock at the door and sensing their business was coming to a close, Professor Fox looked up and said quietly, "Come in." At which point the door opened quietly. |
Erica heard the professor allow her access and she further pushed the door open to discover Fox already in conference with another student, a Gryffindor. She smiled apologetically towards both the student and the professor and hesitated coming further into the office. "Well, Professor, sorry for disturbing the both of you, but I got your note and was wondering if now was a good time to pick up the prize. If not, I can always come back later." |
Professor Fox nodded. "Yes, don't worry, this won't take long." He opened the drawer to his desk and seemed to rummage through some things for a moment before turning his attention back to Erica. "Now then Ms. Arbon, if I might ask which store in Hogsmeade would you consider your favorite?" |
Erica considered the question for a moment before speaking. She wasn't a regular to Hogsmeade, always never being able to find the time to get down there, but still reflected on what she had seen. She remembered the vast array of fun avaliable from Zonko's, the mounds of numerous treats from Honeydukes, the small surprises that you could always find in Scrivenshaft's. She smiled to herself as she reflected and only just then realized how much she missed going there. "In all truthfulness, Professor, I think I'd prefer the Three Broomsticks to any of them. There's nothing like siding up with a butterbeer after a hard, long day of schoolwork or shopping and just letting your mind relax." |
Professor Fox nodded then pulled out a small piece of parchment with a wax stamp on it. He leaned over the desk and handed it to Erica and said, "Well then, being the first to solve a puzzle, here is a four Galleon voucher for the Three Broomsticks. They will of course honor it as it has the Gringott's seal. It's certainly not much, but it is enough at least for you and a friend to enjoy yourselves. Congratulations again on solving the puzzle Ms. Arbon." He motioned that she could then leave and turned his attention back to Alairyse. |
Erica didn't have to take years of Divination to know that a trip to Hogsmeade was going to be in order very soon. She walked the length of the office and accepted the voucher, looking at it for a few moments before slipping it securely into her school robes. "Thanks, Professor. Sorry again for bothering the both of you." Having no further business with Fox, Erica turned and left the professor to his current student, being sure to close the office door behind her as she left. |
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Professor Fox nodded as the student got ready to leave. "Ah well, just check the bulletin board regularly, I always post class times there." [OOC: There is a class going on now. Just jump right in!] |
Professor Virohsa knocked on Professor Fox's door. She waited for him to open the door and for Nadia to catch up. |
Nadia reached the place and stopped by the door, watched as Virohsa knocked on the door and waited to be let in next to the professor. Why was time passed she felt like she was getting more and more into some spidernet trap. It was just these two professors, she was sure. She should have brought Marcy along... |
Professor Fox had just sat down in his chair and let out a relieved sigh after a long, tiring class. He shut his eyes and folded his hands on top of his chest deciding to take a short nap. When he was rudely interrupted by a knock at the door, almost falling out of his chair. Retrieving his glasses from under the desk he mumbled, "Yes yes yes. Come in." As he continued searching for his glasses. |
Professor Virohsa opened the door slowly and found Professor Fox seemingly trying to find his glasses. Frowning, she walked inside and headed towards his office. She looked around to see if Nadia walked in and to see if she shut the door. "Good evening, Professor", she said politely. |
Nadia walked behind, feeling herself blush a little now and kicking herself mentally to be acting like a prescolar. It didn't help that she had been bothering the same professor not much earlier. She suppossed asking question after question with an unwilling responder was bothering... "Evening, professor," she echoed the professor. She closed the door behind her like who had been sealing her doom in a single action. |
"Ah. Hello Cleo." Came a voice from under the desk, followed by a loud 'thump' and a 'bother it all!' as he hit his head on the underside of his desk. A few moments later he emerged from under the desk holding his glasses and a small piece of shiny metal. He sat down and examined the piece for a moment, mumbling to himself, "What an odd place to put it... I really am getting old." He shrugged nonetheless and shoved the small piece of mirror in his desk drawer and folded his hands on the desk before him. "Now then, what can I help you with Cleo? Is there a problem with Ms. Rey?" He asked, noticing Nadia. |
Professor Virohsa raised her eyebrow and flinched as Professor Fox hit his head on the desk... it was.. certainly a peculiar sight. She waited for him to recompose himself before talking. "Ah, no. Nadia is certainly one of the best students I have in my care", she answered. "May we sit down? You would be happy to know that we have quite the proposition", she said with an interested tone on her voice. |
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