The Study Group

Finally the weekend is here! No classes for the day which is awesome but I also got a semi study group to attend too. I think I will also use it to advertise the calculator that Toys of Raijin sent me. It's one of those college models and it works on magic and uses a lightning rune to keep the battery charged, though it confuses me as to why they didn't think to use the lightning rune before I suggested it.

The study group is after breakfast and ends at lunch and then the third years and above go to Hogsmeade from 1 - 3. Toys of Raijin has set up shop already even though they only have three products so far being the music player, calculator, and voice recorder. Though they are also selling CD's for muggle bands and some wizard ones like the Weird Sisters. If I play it just right at this study group then ToR will have an influx of eager students today.

The turn out was a bit bigger than I thought it would be. Harry, Teddy Bear, Gred and Forge, Percy Weasley, Ron, Book Worm, Seamus Finnigan, Parvarti Patil, Fay Dunbar, and Dean Thomas from Gryffindor. Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Cedric Diggory, and Tonks from Hufflepuff. Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe, Sue Li, Padma Partil, Lisa Turpin , Terry Boot and Penelope Clearwater from Ravenclaw. Tracey, Daphne, Blaise, Theo, Millicent Bulstrode, Terence Higgs, and myself from Slytherin.

"Okay then we are not going to be able to do this in the Library. Why are there so many of you anyway?"

"Well" Penelope Clearwater begins "Neville told the Twins and the Twins advertised it to the Gryffindors. Percy who was proud that the twins were going to a study group told me and then I advertised it to a few other people since I thought it was a good idea."

"I'm here because I'm struggling a little and you seem helpful to others so I thought I might request some help?" Said Millicent. I think she thinks I will turn her away since I act differently in Slytherin house.

"You're pretty nice as far as Slytherins go and you helped Neville and Ron out even though you din't have to" Dead

"I agree. You are a very nice person. Your table at lunch and dinner doesn't discriminate against what house you are in. You are the only one to accomplish that so I am here." Cedric

"I am here because you would give me the abandoned puppy routine at dinner if I didn't" Tonks says crossing her arms. Well She is right but I think her hair turned a slightly darker shade of pink when she spoke.

"Well you are all welcome to join us until Lunch. I won't hold your house against you and if any of you do during this study group I will kick you out of it. So that means no dissing on the snakes" I say looking straight at Ron who acts bashful "Or the lions" I then glare at the slytherins, though none of the other houses saw my glare nor the slight shiver that Millicent and Terrence had. "Lastly" I look at Cedric "You" I point at him "Are not allowed to start sparkling"

"Wait why would I sparkle?" Asked a confused Cedric

"Just don't do it. Alright. Tippy!" A house elf pops up

"Yes what can I do for young master alex" The house elf seems really eager. She is the one who helped me with my hideaway.

"Yes Tippy can you guide us to the nearest room big enough to fit all of us?"

"Oh yes come follow Tippy!"

"Thank you tippy" I began to follow the house elf and motioned for the others to follow. We follow tippy for a few minutes before she opens a door which opens up to an old abandoned classroom. It still has chairs and desk but also has cobwebs about it and dust "Good Job Tippy"

Tippy sniffles at being told a good job "Does young master need tippy to help clean?"

"If you want to Tippy. Oh and could you transfigure some of the chairs with wheels you saw in my secret room?" Tippy nods hastily and then me and her began to clean. I used an overpowered scourgify while she used house elf magic to transfigure some of the chairs into the ones with wheels.

"I go and bring young master and friends snacks" She then pops out the room.

"What was that?" Asked the book worm, the purebloods in the room looked at her funny. See this is why I want to open up that crash course club

I explain to her what a house elf is, she started off on some 'They have rights too and should be free' stuff until I told her they would quite literally die if they weren't bond to someone or someplace. I then inform her hogwarts house elves are well provided for and treated well which eases her off the topic a bit. She then started on they should be paid until I told her most house elves don't want to be paid. Some, like the ones I have at my home, get paid a few knuts a week but they will not accept more than that. Finally that conversation ends.

Since first years outnumber the others. I convinced the older years to tell us what to expect as we grow older.

"Well when you get older"

"You will begin looking at gals"

"or blokes in a different way"

"You may want to hold hands or kiss"

I smack the twins on the back of the head "Gred, Forge, please shut up"

Percy then began droning on and I have to snap my fingers at him a few times "Percy, while I do love the enthusiasm you have to learning, and I really do. You need to keep things simple. We are after all eleven and I am sure some of us didn't understand even half of what you just said"

Penelope rolls her eyes at Percy "I'll take over Percy. First and Second year will be pretty much the same for you only in second year the spells and things you learn will become a step harder. It is in Third year things change. You will have to choose two different Electives. The Electives are Care of Magical Creatures, which will teach you about magical creatures such as their habitats, what to do if you meet one, how dangerous they can be and etc. Ancient Runes which you will study Runes that have a wide array of effects and are commonly used in wards and making magical items. Muggle Studies which will tell you about the muggle world. Divination which is supposed to tell you how to predict the future but mainly our teacher Trelawney spouts off about the mind's eye and giving death omens. Lastly is Arithmancy which uses numbers and equations which help in spell crafting, help make predictions, and a wide array of other things."

"I would like to point out a few things that go along with what you just described." I speak up grabbing the attention of the others. "First off those electives sound amazing, or rather most of them do, divination is something I don't recommend as it is commonly said the only way to succeed in it is to have the sight."

"Or make stuff up" Said Terrance when eyes shifted on him "What? I had a friend, who graduated, who told me that all he did during the class was make up ridiculous stories and he still passed with an EE on his OWLS"

"Thank you for telling us that Terrance. I appreciate it. So it turns out you can fake your way through the class so it serves no real purpose to your education. Care of Magical creatures sounds amazing and I will probably be taking that as my course but as for muggle studies" I pull a book out of my trunk necklace "This is the Hogwarts School Curriculum on Muggle Studies, I bought it at Florish and Blotts. It is very outdated as it says muggles most recent achievement is and I quote 'horseless carriages' I have to say that is a century old thing and muggles have greatly improved on a lot of things, but I will discuss that later or demonstrate here shortly."

Some of them wonder what I am talking about but I hold up my hand "Now as for Ancient Runes it is an amazing subject which I shall also demonstrate. Some of you may wonder how I know all this stuff and the answer is I bought a lot of books and also this" I slip a rectangular grey item from my sleeve. After a few button pushes I hit one more. From the device came Penelope giving her introduction to Hogwarts Electives.

The pure bloods seem amazed. But some like Book Worm, Harry and Seamus knew exactly what it was

"Is that a recorder?" Asked Seamus but before I could answer

"Muggle technology isn't supposed to work in Hogwarts! It says so in Hogwarts: A History!" Yelled book worm

"Yes yes book worm I read the book too. But a group in Japan has been working on making Muggle Technology either work around magic or make a magical equivalent of said item Such as this recorder." I look at the pure bloods "A recorder is an item that will record the sounds around it, such as speech, and then allow one to listen to it again later. I, for one, plan to use one in Binns class that way I can listen to him whenever I have trouble getting to sleep" That got the group laughing, except book worm who is the only first year to stay awake during his class. Penelope informs us that we can actually get all the notes for all 7 years of History of Magic from Ravenclaws for a few sickles. Binns has had the same class without a single word of difference for years we are told.

"Anyway with a mixture of runes and crystals they have found ways to convert some muggle tech to be used around magic. Like this recorder or mine and Harry's music players"

"What's a music player?" Asked Millicent

I pull mine out and clicking play and taping it with my wand it began to play Karma Chameleon

"What kind of music is this?" Asked Percy

"I like it. Makes me want to tap my feet" Said Cedric.

I then take out the disc and replace it with another that the wizards might now. I tap play and a song by Weird Sisters began to play

"Oh oh this is Weird Sisters!" Says Cedric who apparently listens to them on Wizarding Wireless Network

"Yep a music player takes disc with songs on them and plays them. These come with headphones which allow you to listen to music without the noise bothering anyone else and a speaker feature or Sonorus feature which will allow you to play music like I am now." I tap the MMP to stop it and I put it to the side

"Lastly the people who made the recorder and the MMP also made this" I pull out a calculator from my trunk. "It will help make Arithmancy easier" I then show them how to use them.

Penelope grabs me by my collar "Where can I get this?!"

"Whoa settle down. Look the place is called Toys of Raijin. I just helped them get a building in Hogsmeade so you can get these objects, and CD's for the music player, there when you go on your trip today. If you tell them I referred you you will get a 20% discount for this weekend only so tell your friends."

They began talking adamantly about themselves. II let them do so for a few minutes before I get us back on topic. I talk about how intent and visualization seems to be a big part of magic they don't teach. I retold them about my first transfiguration class and how I helped others make the needle by telling them this same stuff.

Penelope tells us about some of the Creatures she has studied in CoM such as Grindylows, Trolls, and merpeople. She tells us how Grindylows and Merpeople reside in Black Lake and that is why no one is allowed to go swimming in it, but the Giant Squid is apparently very friendly.

Percy tells us about some of the runes he has learned. Such as runes that make things float, runes that create sparks, and runes that can help when making potions

Cedric and Terrance tells us about quidditch and what it is like being the seeker.

Parvarti Patil, Cho Chang, and Marietta Edgecomb talk about the latest gossip and fashions for awhile.

Gred and Forge tell us about some of the items they are trying to make and sell. Suck as ton-tongue toffees, fever fudge, and canary creams. Percy seems to shake his head in exasperation to these things but I tell them it's brilliant. I mean really the time and effort it would take to make those candies not to mention they have to self experiment it all on their own is brilliant. This in turn makes Percy see them in a new light.

Us first years talk about some things we know. I tell Book Worm that she should tell some things about the muggle world so she decides to tell them about what dentist are, dentist now terrify the pure bloods.

Harry talks about muggle video games, this intrigues them all. Especially when Harry talks about a game that didn't require muggle technology to play. Dungeons and Dragons.

Neville tells us about some of the stuff that can be found in herbology.

Tonks talks about metamorphamagus's, as she is one and demonstrates. I shock her and everyone else, but Harry, when I turn my arm into a large claw and gain a beak. Which I then have to tell them about my partial ability thanks to my familiar.

The last bit of time I let them all play around with the calculator, recorder, and the MMP (Though i tell them not to throw the CD's. All in all it was a great time. We had snacks everyone learned something and all the houses were getting along. Laughing, joking, and helping each other out. I think this is going to become a weekly or bi-weekly thing between us.