Lyra Black *Under Revision*

♦️1:6♦️

Herbology:

Sitting next to bernice, I took a moment to feel the various plants, it felt homey here, I smiled as I felt Marri sit on my shoulder "Good afternoon first years" Professor Sprout said as she entered "Good afternoon Professor Sprout " the class returned "Today we'll be working on the fire making spell also known as incendio. While it is a charm and this is Herbology, I'll be teaching the necessary spells that are required when dealing with certain plants " madam sprout explained.
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Astronomy:

Astronomy was the only class aside from flying lessons that had all four houses together, meaning there was quite the group sitting in one section of the tower, Slytherin's, Ravenclaw's, Hufflepuff's and Gryffindors sat together with any argument or hostility, something that both awed professor Sinatra and left her in disbelief. "Hello class, welcome to Astronomy, I am Professor Sinatra. We'll be learning about the plants and mapping them through the year, we'll even be able to see them at some point as well" She stated with a smile.
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Flying lessons:

Finally it was time for flying class, arguably the most anticipated and most exciting class for the first years. "Calm down lils, it will be ok" I comforted as we walked down to the field "what if we fall?" Lily asked "what if we get injured" peter added fearfully "or what if the broom decides to throw us off" alice added. "The brooms, like magic respond to your emotions,  if you are scared, nervous or fearful it'll either ignore you or start to have a bad reaction. Take a deep breath, calm down, we'll be right next to you to stop anything bad happening, act confident and gather that Gryffindor courage I know all three of you possess" I said, seeing their anxiety visibly leave them "Promise?" Alice asked "Promise" Marlene, Mary, Narcissa, Dorcas, Emmeline, Malfalda , Caspian, Lee,Cole, Bernice and me said at once.
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(Room's Occupants: Lily, Dorcas, Emmeline, Malfalda, Mary, Alice, Marlene, Severus, Lee, Cole, Bernice, Narcissa, Caspian, Bellatrix, Andromeda, Lyra and Peter)

"Alright, What are the remaining holidays?" Lily asked after we all got comfortable, Bernice sitting on the floor by me as cole and Lee shared a bean bag  "after Beltane, it's the Summer Solstice, also known as Litha it takes place June 19th to the 23rd. We celebrate the beginning of summer, we light bonfires on top of a hill and dance around, some jump over or through the fire for good luck " Bellatrix explained. "Litha also happens to have the longest days of the year. Most participate in a fire ritual, with either a bonfire or a small fire in one's home, Litha is the best time to perform love magic and to get married " Caspian finished. "The Next Holiday is Lughnasadh or Lammas on August the first. It's the halfway point between Litha and the fall equinox known as Mabon, it's the celebration of the Harvest, we also honor Lugh, the god of craftsmenship, there are many therioes on why we celebrate Lugh on this day but no one knows for certain " Narcissa explained "we bake breads and cakes to celebrate the grain harvest, we also perform a harvest ritual, the alatrnis decorated with symbols of the season and we eat a bread together afterwards. In honor of lugh we create decorations and decorate our homes, as custom of each holiday there is a feast made from the crops harvested from our gardens " Andromeda explained.

"I thought you all used house elves for cooking and all that?" Marlene asked curiously, her prejudice against anything dark starting to disapate as she spent more time with her friends, "Normally but for the holidays it is normally prepared by the family, we have them help but the majority of it is done by our selves " I explained receiving a nod from the lion. "Next is the Autumn Equinox or Mabon from the 21st to 24th of September. Some go to the festival Oktoberfest to celebrate which last through mabon and the rest of September. It's also known as the second harvest, when many give thanks for their blessings and a prosperous Harvest. The name Mabon comes from the son of Mother Earth " Caspian explained "we pick apples and use them in a ritual to give thanks to the gods for a bountiful Harvest, some perform rituals to restore balance and harmony in their lives" I finished.

"Next is Samhain tight?" Malfalda asked "yes" Narcissa confirmed "Samhain is celebrated from sunset on October 31st to November 1st. It's the mark of the Celtic new year, and marks the end of harvest season and the beginning of winter. The veil between the living and the dead is extremely thin and allows the dead to interact with the living " I explained. "We do a ritual to talk to our ancestors, our loved ones who have long since passed. Those who participate in black magic have used the holiday for necromancy " Narcissa explained. "Can we do the ritual?" Lily asked intrigued, she'd love to see her grandfather again, even if it was only for one night "yes, if you'd like we'll do all of the holidays that we can " I returned with a small smile. "Lastly, Yule or the Winter Solstice, it lasts from December 20th to the 23rd. We celebrate Rebirth and Renewal, and the beginning of the sun's return, a bonfire was made and those of age drank an alcoholic spicy cider. Holly, Ivy, Mistletoe and Evergreen trees were used as decorations to invite nature Spirits to join the celebrations, we also burned a yule log decoration in seasonal decorations and set it a flame with a piece of last year's log." Andromeda spoke.

"We also have feasts, large gatherings, Present gifting. Meditate in darkness, then celebrate the birth of the sun by lighting candles and singing songs" I finished "ok, we were wrong, the holidays aren't as bad as we've been told" Marlene conceded, "can we learn about the gods next?" Lily asked intrigued already pulling out a second notebook "Maybe next time Lils, let's get to dinner before Ellie throws us out again" I returned with a smile
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Until next time my pups

• mischief managed •