"Its okay! And that looks better." Celandine beamed cheerfully and peeked over at Plymouth and his bookmark knitting. Meh? Meh. Daph would like it, at least.

Cela looked at Tibi again.

"See when you hold it like that, you can adjust your grip simply by adjusting which part of your hand is putting pressure on your wand, if you are putting pressure on it at all. So it makes different wand movements easier to manage and overall makes it easier to switch between wand movements quickly and in a more natural sort of way. So you can like, cast multiple spells in a row, faster." Celandine explained.

Okayy.

Homework.

"What should we make our chess pieces do, Tibi? Play hopscotch?"

Tibi lowered his wand before looking up at Celandine a little... surprised. After her comments about lockers, Tiberius had simply begun to assume that most muggle things would need a little translating. Though... he supposed that perhaps wizarding children played similar games?

"Hopscotch? Sure, we can try that." Tibi nodded, wondering if he'd be able to manage to get his piece to not only pay attention to him, but to hop too. "Erm.. is there a wizard hopscotch? Or is it the same as we played at my muggle school?"

Tibi looked at his chess piece skeptically.

Celandine looked at Tiberius in confusion. Hopscotch was a muggle game?

"I don't know." Cela admitted. She fiddled with her hair and then took a biiiig breath. "Wizard Chess Hopscotch. We're making it up right now as we go."

Celandine used her wand to draw up a basic hopscotch court in miniature, each square only twice again the width of the base of each chess piece.

"Okay we need markers to throw." Cela suggested and spied a couple dropped raisins. She picked them up and very carefully cast Duro on each of them, then solemnly handed a little stone raisin to Tibi.

"Oooh, we should 'throw' them by levitating them, it will be good practice for you and make it more fun." Cela suggested.

"Wizard chess hopscotch," Tibi repeated thoughtfully. "Works for me!" He gave Cela a silly grin.

He watched, visibly impressed as she drew the 'court' and then turned raisins into stone markers. He chewed on his bottom lip as he considered whether he'd ever manage to be that good.

Her suggestion of an additional spell brought his thoughts back to the present moment. "Levitate? Uh.. sure." His voice wobbled a little, betraying perhaps the slightest doubt that he'd be able to manage.

With his raisin!stone in one hand, and his wand gripped properly in the other, Tibi paused for a moment and took a deep breath. Holding his hands over the court, so that the marker would simply need to fall after, he gave a little swish and flick with his wand as he clearly said, "Wingardium Leviosa."

The raisin rose off his palm half-heartedly, wobbling a little, as Tibi pulled his hand away. But then as suddenly as it had risen, without warning, the stone fell of it's own accord and landed in the center of square five.

"Not bad!" Celandine beamed at Tibi and she followed suit, being sure to say the incantation out loud so Tibi didn't get all spooked by the non-verbal thing, even though she was ridiculously proud of that newly developing skill.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Her raisin!stone gently flipped end over end and came to a rest on the three. Cela twinkled at Tiberius mischeviously. She hadn't done that on purpose or anything.

Okay she had, but Tibi didn't need to know that.

Tibi watched as the stone landed on three suddenly very glad that a chess piece had to navigate the court and not him.

"Ok, well... I guess I'll go first." Placing his piece in front of the court, Tibi adjusted his grip. Clearing his throat, Tibi first practiced the wand movement without the incantation. Satisfied, that it felt ok, Tibi looked down at his piece.

"Piertotum Locomotor," he said simply as he waved his wand. The piece gave a little shudder and Tibi lowered his wand.

"I just tell it what to do now," he said, half to himself, half to Cela.

"Erm, excuse me? Mister bishop? I need you to play hopscotch." Tibi watched at the piece merely swayed, not following his instruction.

"Erm, more specific, yes? Ok.. hop from square 1 to 2, and then from 2 to 4. And then 4 to 6. And then keep hopping in order." Tibi paused. "Please?"

It was kinda sweet how polite Tibi was being to his newly animated chess friend. But it wasn't getting him very far. The piece gave one definitive hop unto box 1 followed by another to 2. But then it stopped and went no further.

"Maybe its confused because its a bishop and it usually goes on an angle." Cela suggested, watching the chess piece with interest.

Hers was a rook so it wouldn't have that problem.

"Maybe turn it on an angle?"

Tibi frowned. If that was indeed the problem, he would kick himself later for not having grabbed a queen. A queen could do... anything.

Reaching down he turned the bishop a little half-turn. "Ok. Hop to square four." It may have been Tibi's eyes playing tricks on him, but he could have swore that the little bishop man... sighed. And if it had happened, who could blame the piece. Tibi wasn't exactly known for his forceful command.

The bishop gave a little hop before landing clear outside the boundary of the court.

"Come back to the front," Tibi sighed at it. Which it did. Figured that command it followed.

"Your turn," Tibi said, turning to Cela.

Isabella entered the common room and went and sat on one of the couches facing the fire place.she opened her text book and began to read.as she read she began to think of her friends Laura,Jules,Linda and Satine.

Celandine obligingly made a half circle and flicked her wand. "Piertotum Locomotor!" She concentrated hard on the Rook and to her absolute pleasure, it responded by hopping on to square number one, without her having to say so directly. She eyed it as it hopped to the second square, over the third square and landed right on the line between square four and five.

Oh hum.

Movement issues.

She flicked her wand and sighed nosily, the Rook skittered back to the front of the hopscotch court, about as apologetic as a castle could possibly be. She'd have to angle it too maybe? Or just concentrate harder?

Tibi would be lying if said he wasn't at least a little... pleased? relieved? that Cela's piece had movement trouble. Though, he was absolutely in awe that she'd just thought about what she wanted the rook to do.

Looking back down at his bishop, it looked rather still. Was it still able to move? "Um, hi. Can you wave for me, please?" Tibi asked his bishop just to see. Nothing. Tibi bent down to examine it closer. Squinting his eyes, he looked the piece over. Nope. Not moving.

Tibi's brow creased. He'd have to cast the spell again, he guessed. "Piertotum locomotor!" He said it more than a little annoyed, and maybe a little more forcefully than the time before.

"Hopscotch. Go. Hop square to square, skipping three and five." No more mister nice Tibi.

If an animated chess piece could register surprise, this one did. Hopping dutifully until space six, where it hop-stumbled and it landed on its side. Without Tibi asking, the piece picked itself back up and returned to the front, shoulders a little slumped.

Tibi was, to say the least, surprised.

"See its all about intent." Celandine told Tibi, pleased as all get out.

Her Rook was quivering a bit, apparently still under the effects of her initial spell so Cela looked at it. "Your turn."

Obligingly it hopped. 1 and 2 then pause. Cela flicked her wand to adjust the angle and it hopped again. 4. She turned it again and it hopped 6, but it didn't wait for her to turn it OR turn itself, so once again it ended up on the lines.

"Okay. Come back." The Rook drag-shuffled its way back to the start and Cela stroked it encouragingly like it was one of her pets.

Tibi smiled and looked back to his piece, which was hopping in place lightly.

"Ok guy. Hop, carefully, like before. You were doing well. Get to the end without tripping."

Tibi's voice had a bit more confidence than before as his piece sauntered up to the court. One definitive hop. Two definitive hops. The piece paused and then leaped over three and landed deftly on four.

Tibi held his breath. Hop to six. Seven. The piece paused. After a moment, another hop to eight. And then nine.

Tibi exhaled noisely and clapped his hands together. "He made it!" Tibi beamed. He'd done it. He'd actually done it!

"Ok, now come back!" Tibi was on a roll. The spell had clearly been strong enough and his piece was doing its thing.

Hop. Hop. Hop. Hop. LEAP. Hop. Hop.

And back!

"Great!" Celandine applauded and then she nudged her Rook into action. It went slowly but considering she was not using verbal cues, Cela was pleased when it hoppity hopped from 1 to 8, missing 3 and 5 and not touching a single line. Good little Rooky!

"I think thats enough for the purposes of the homework! Good job Tibi!" And Cela would totally play this game again properly. She would. Weeeee!

Tibi looked up at Cela and smiled as he picked up his chess piece. "Thanks for all your help, Cela," he said softly and quite grateful. She was really good at this magic stuff.

Suddenly, Tibi was struck by inspiration. "Um, Cela? Can I ask you a favor?" He spoke even softer than usual, and perhaps a little shyly. "It's ok if you need to go, though."

Tibi's eyes strayed over to his bag. There were shoes that needed charming. Oh yes there were.

"Thats okay. It's fun." Magic in general she meant. Cela beamed at him and her eyes widened in a quizzical expression. "Sure. Ask away."

She packed up her things and sat patiently, wondering what Tibi wanted.

Tibi grinned. "Well," he said, getting up to rummage through his bag. "I got THESE." Tibi smacked the bottoms of the shoes so that the lights began to pulse.

"I was wondering if you knew a spell that would turn the red lights blue instead."

Tibi looked at her expectantly.

"For the match."

Cela stared.

Stars. In. Her. Eyes.


WOW.

She blinked her amazement away in favour of attacking the problem.

"I think I can. A colour change charm would work, I think. If I changed the colour of the thingy over the bright bit."

The bulb? Yes that.

She held out her hand for a closer look.

Keeley walked downstairs to the common room, where a boy in her year and an older girl were looking at shoes. Whoa! They were glowing!! She sighed, looking down at her own shoes. White converse, covered in doodles (the moving kind) but they still weren't as cool as his. She wondered where Bella was, seeing as she was pretty much the only Ravenclaw she really talked to. Not spotting her, she sat down in and armchair and pulled out her sketch pad. Twirling her long red hair thoughtfully, she wondered what to draw..

Tibi bounced excitedly as he handed a shoe over. He was totally in little kid mode, thrilled that he finally had blinky!shoes. He'd have to hide them when he went home, of course. His mum had always said that the were obnoxious and unnecessary.

BUT FUN! Tibi giggled randomly just thinking about finally having a pair. And then he grinned. If Cela could make them blink blue, it was perfect for rooting for Ravenclaw. Even if it was a consolation game.

Squeeeee.

Celandine smiled brightly at the other firstie as she walked in and watched her pull out a sketch pad. Then she went back to helping Tiberius.


Cela peered at the shoe, turning it this way and that, squeezing it, sniffing it and stroking it.

"I can do it." She told him finally, after what had to be at least a full minute of blinky!shoe contemplation.

"If I change the colour of the bit that covers the blinky bit, it will change the colour of the blinking." Cela explained earnestly.

Oooh! Keeley knew what to draw! She knew that the other two students weren't paying attention to her, so they hopefully wouldn't mind if she drew those purty shoes. They'd probably think she was some stalker if they saw, but she swept the thought from her mind. Well, the elder girl had smiled at her, so that normally wasn't a sign of contempt. Maybe she was in the clear. Keeley started sketching, and hoping that this enchanted ink would sparkle like the real ones.

"Magic is awesome," Tibi said breathlessly before he realized it. Blushing slightly when he realized it, he handed over the other shoe. "Changing the color of the bulb sounds good."

While he waited for Cela as she contemplated the shoes, Tibi looked over at the other student who had come in and smiled. He didn't really know her, but he was in such a good mood that it didn't matter.

Two smiles. Keeley was on a role. Should she wave? Most people didn't have to think about these things, but most people weren't- er- Keeley. She knew that they most likely didn't really care at all what she did, so she simply smiled, green eyes twinkling, and started shading as the ink turned itself blue. Gosh, she loved that ink. Which reminded her, the match. She probably wouldn't go, seeing as she didn't understand those complicated rules, but since Carter wasn't playing, he'd be badgering her to go with him and watch. Eh, she'd ask Bella. The drawing was almost done, it actually did sparkle, and she signed her name at the bottom.

Mina quietly walked into their common room. Her attention was solely on her little knight chess piece in her hand. How she made it all the way up to their tower, was really beyond her. After all the stairs and turns, she still managed to make it there without disturbing her little knight's show. She had charmed the little knight while she was down by the lake and he had been entertaining her since. Currently he was in the middle of an Irish jig.

Making her way to one of the armchairs, she settled in and looked up to see Keeley. "Hey Keeley," she smiled. "Haven't seen you in a while. What's up?"