#(like if you want to learn to READ NOVELS then study activities surrounding reading sooner will likely help you reach the goal in less hour

[rigelmejo]

"what is the fastest way to learn a language?"

Answer: none. Learning a language will all take several hundred to a few thousand hours. If your goal is to be able to do all kinds of tasks in the language generally, it will take that long. If your goal is to learn to be able to do something very specific only, then that goal may take less time... it will still take many study hours though.

(For example if your goal is "be able to do all everyday things in the language okay including discussing most topics with people in a general way through speaking and writing, read most materials and understand generally, watch and listen to things and understand generally" then it's going to take several hundred hours to a few thousand hours, depending on the language and what you consider "good enough" ability to do those things. If instead, your goal is only "be able to order food in a restaurant in the language" then yes there are methods that will allow you to learn to do those things in less hours, and selecting study methods that a. you will DO a lot of per day b. teach what you want to learn FIRST, will allow you to reach those goals in less time. So if your goal is just to learn to order food, then reading fiction fantasy novels and looking up words is going to take hundreds of hours to learn the words/sentences you need to learn to order food. Whereas looking up a dialogue on ordering food, and memorizing a word list of food types and questions/answers, will take you maybe 2-10 hours to reach the goal of being able to order food).

Answer: the fastest way to learn a language is the way you can get yourself to do regularly for a decent amount of time.

(It doesn't matter if someone says anki is 'faster' if you can only get yourself to do it 5 minutes a day, it doesn't matter if someone says classes are faster if you keep avoiding joining a class for years, it doesn't matter if someone says reading books is 'faster' if you hate reading books and barely read them in any language. "Faster" language learning comes down to "what makes you study more hours daily so you can reach your goal in less days/years?" So do whatever activities get you to study more hours daily. You can lessen how many days/years until you reach your language learning goal, if you can get yourself to do more study hours in less days/years.)

[maraudersandlily20]

Ovid The Poet

It began with a quarrel. Lily and James knew how to quarrel like it was their own personal business. But this particular argument had many reincarnations, because for some reason, they never reached a solid conclusion. James would remark about muggles in an off-handed manner, opinions he had of them that came from being raised in a magical family. Some were harmless, but some irked Lily to no end. His insufferable behavior toward muggle life pushed her buttons more than any other disagreements they had.

This argument, this specific argument, happened as Peter was reading a popular muggle book. The Scarlet Pimpernel. It was widely known as the first anonymous hero with a double identity. Peter had a penchant for bringing muggle books to school with him. When asked why, he said he’d already read the magical ones. James and Sirius often made fun of him. “Muggles don’t really understand the big picture, Pete. How good can the stories be if they only have half of the information?” This was often James’ argument, but Peter always shrugged him off. He enjoyed the books he enjoyed and he wouldn’t let his friends bully him to think otherwise. But it got on Lily’s nerves.

She loved the Scarlet Pimpernel. She had read it a few times and believed it deserved respect. “You know you only feel that way, Potter, because you’ve never actually read one yourself.” James knew when his girlfriend called him Potter, she was displeased with him.

“No need.” he said. “I have read the magical books, Evans, and I’m not interested in changing that.”

“You purebloods and your ridiculous standards. You grow up with magic surrounding you, having a deeper and more thorough understanding of the world around you, and yet you refuse to educate yourselves further for the sake of basking in your magical superiority. Well, it’s preposterous. While wizards and witches have given their say on the world through books, I think muggles might have some knowledge too. And unless you learn about both sides, James, you’re never going to understand the “Big Picture”, as you said. So maybe you should give Peter a break about his books and try reading one sometime.” And she had stormed off.

After a few hours, James found her and apologized for his narrow mindedness. She accepted his apology, of course, mostly because she hated being mad at him for too long, but reiterated her sentiment that he should try reading a muggle novel. He told her that he had already borrowed a book from Peter and was planning on starting it after classes the next day. This had earned him a sweet smile and a kiss.

James was true to his word, and the next day began reading the classic novel of Pride and Prejudice. To his and everyone else’s surprise, he loved it. Lily and Peter pooled their book resources together and, every few days, James had a new book from a muggle author. He read Sherlock Holmes, Jane Eyre, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and many others. When he finished a book, he would ask Lily questions and they would have a discussion about his findings. It was strange, the change it had on him in regards to the muggle culture. He began asking more questions in muggle studies and was actually curious about the answers.

And then, he went to the library. The library had a whole bookshelf full of muggle works. James wanted to read them all. He began reading ancient texts such as The Iliad, The Odyssey, and others that Lily couldn’t even pronounce. He studied Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome and wouldn’t stop talking about either.

Lily was grateful she had fallen in love with a man who took criticism so well and actively worked to change. His love of muggle literature even seeped over to Sirius. The young Black depended on Remus’ knowledge rather than Lily and Peter, which was plentiful since Remus had been homeschooled from a very young age. Books were his only escape. In fact, as James and Sirius tore through book after book, the Marauders got so into muggle literature that they formed a book club. They discussed novels they enjoyed or hated and then moved on to the next.

It had been two months like this, October coming to a sudden end, and with it the warm weather. Lily knew there weren’t many nice days left, which meant that James “Vitamin D” Potter would be out enjoying the sunshine. Especially on a Saturday.

Lily walked slowly, taking in the warm autumn colors that were painting the earth around her, and pulled her jacket tightly. The brisk air was refreshing. She soaked in the feeling and thought of how much she loved Hogwarts in the fall. The path led her down along the banks of the Black Lake, where James’ favorite willow tree stood. She found him, lounging on a blanket on his stomach, absorbed in the pages of a book. Lily grinned.

“Hello there,” She called. His dark eyes shot up to find her and he returned the smile.

“M’lady. Always a pleasure. What brings you down to the lake on this fine Sunday afternoon?”

“I was looking for my boyfriend, actually.” she said with a smile, taking a seat beside him. “He’s been so wrapped up in his books lately that he’s hardly paid attention to me. I was wondering if maybe I should break up with him.”

“Oh. I see. So you’re saying that, even though you encouraged him to take a liking to muggle literature, you would still leave him?”

She shrugged and wiggled her eyebrows. “I think he may deserve it. He was so against them before, that now his love of them kind of makes him a hypocrite. Don’t you think?”

James’ eyes narrowed. “I suppose. And what should he do to ensure that you don’t leave him? Perhaps he could recite to you one of William Shakespeare’s famous Sonnets? “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and temperate…” Etc. Or perhaps, you’d like it better if he went back to his old ways and denounced his now beloved authors and turn all of his attention on you? Would that satisfy you?” He was speaking dramatically, waving his hands up and down as he spoke and it caused Lily to go into a fit of laughter. He always knew how to make her laugh.

“Madame! This is a serious matter! How shall your one true love win back your favor?” He got to his knees, taking her hand in his and placing a gentle kiss on it. She stared into his big brown eyes that were so full of love and warmth it made her stomach flip

“I suppose,” she giggled, “That it would be enough for him to say that I was right.”

It took him a moment to realize what she had said before his expression fell flat. “Not very original love. But, if that’s what I must do.” James got to his feet, placed both hands over his heart, and dramatically said, “Lilith the fair and true, you are the mistress of the universe, and your knowledge is all encompassing. And your lowly love now realizes the error of his ways and comes before you to say that you were and are totally and completely right. In all things. Forever. Now, will you please take him back?”

Her lips quivered from the effort to keep in her laughs. He had really become a complete fool over this. Finally she rolled her eyes and opened her arms. James let out a whoop before basically collapsing on top of her and capturing her lips with his. They lay, laughing as they kissed, for quite some time before James rolled away from her. Together, they laid on the blanket and stared up at the tree branches above them, intertwined hands between them.

“You know, you were right though. I acted like a complete git about the whole thing and I should have listened to you sooner, but you were right. These books I’ve been reading, they’re phenomenal. Thank you for forcing me to read them.”

She nodded, smug. Her hand graced the book that James had set down in his dramatic actions, and she now picked it up. It was an old book, with tattered pages, and the title simple said “OVID”.

“What are you reading now? I’ve never heard of this.”

James grinned and sits up, taking the book from her. “Ah, it’s amazing. You know how deep I’ve gotten into ancient culture?” Lily nodded. “Well I found this book in the library. Ovid, the author, was a poet during the time of Caesar Augustus, the first true emperor of the Roman Empire. Augustus was the chosen heir of Julius Caesar and he was the most brilliant, charismatic and kind leader that Rome had ever seen. According to most historians of the time anyway, though I think he paid them to say that.” He laughed, and she couldn’t tear her eyes from him. He was so passionate it took her breath away. “But that’s beside the point. While Augustus was Emperor, he wanted the Roman people to become morally better. So he hired poets and orators to create stories that implemented the ideals of Roman society with their words, hoping that the people would listen. Ovid was one of those poets.”

“He was this storyteller who believed in the good of people, you know? His stories are beautiful and they all focus on the fact that if you are strong and kind, you will be rewarded by the gods.”

“Will you tell me a story?” Lily asked.

James looked at her for a second, a soft smile lighting up his face. “Of course. It would be my pleasure. I just finished a really good one. The story of Baucis and Philemon.”

Lily laid back against the blanket once more, her hand wrapped around James’ as he began to weave a magnificent tale to her. “As Ovid tells it, there was this small town outside of Athens, full of the wealthy elite. They’re all well dressed and well fed and all wrapped up in their own problems. One day, into this small town, comes two cloaked strangers. They look old and crippled, and they go around to each house asking for some shelter and some food. These people have so much, you know, that it would just make sense that they could give even a little of it away.” As James speaks, his hands wave about to emphasize his words. Lily is enchanted. “Well, no one lets them in. They all turn the cloaked strangers away without a second thought. So the two figures wind their way through the entire rich village, imploring for a place at the fire and a parcel of food. But the answer is always the same. No.”

James settles down beside Lily again, their shoulders brushing, and he glances over at her now and again as he speaks to gauge her reactions to his words. The smile on her face refuses to leave.

“Finally, the two strangers get to the last house in the village. It’s different from all the others, it’s small and poorly made and looks rather sad, to be honest. But the two knock anyway. And who should come to the door but the elderly Baucis. It’s his home you see, his and his wife, Philemon. They’re both aged and poor, but when the strangers ask for some food, they say of course and let them right in.”

“The poorest people in the village were the only ones to let them in?” Lily asked. James nodded, a look of disbelief on his face.

“Crazy, isn’t it? Anyway, so Philemon tries to clean up, makes the fire bigger to keep the guests warm and Baucis prepares their finest food for the visitors. They do their best to make sure their guests are comfortable and satisfied.

“One of the strangers thanks them and asks “How is it that you can give so much though you have so little?” And Baucis shrugs and simply says, “As long as I have my wife, good sir, that is enough.” This touches the strangers so deeply that they throw off their cloaks to reveal themselves. They are Jupiter and Mercury, the strongest and most powerful of the gods.” Lily gasped, solely focused on the story that James weaves around them. She can practically see the action happening. James nods in excitement.

“So Jupiter and Mercury tell Baucis and his wife that they are to be blessed. So the elderly couple follows the pair of Gods up a grand hill, wondering what the gods intend to bless them with. They get to the top of the hill and Jupiter tells them to look back at their village.”

“What happened?” Lily couldn’t help but ask.

“The entire village, save for their hut, was washed away in a huge flood. The gods had seen the greediness and cruelty of most humans in the village and so decided it was time to start anew. But they had found goodness in the hearts of this elderly couple, and so spared them.

“Baucis and Philemon watched as their tiny hut was suddenly transformed into a huge, golden temple meant to worship the gods. They walked back down to admire the new building and when they got there, Mercury said “You have proven yourselves worthy of a gift from the gods. What do you desire?”

James looks over at Lily with a small grin. “Philemon says that all they want is to spend every day of the rest of their lives with each other, never to be separated, and asks that when they die, they die together.”

Lily breathed out, touched at the devotion of the couple in the story.

“The gods were amazed at these two mortals and their love for each other. So they granted their wish. Baucis and Philemon became the tenders of the temple and lived every day together for many more years, happy. And when the time came, they died together. The gods, out of respect of the two mortal lovers, transformed their bodies into trees, made of linder and oak. The trees grew from one trunk and entwined themselves together, never to be separated for all of eternity. And the gods still looked down at those small trees and were reminded that every mortal is capable of great love and goodness. It taught them to hope, to believe in mankind. And according to Ovid, the two trees stand intertwined even to this day.’

James trailed off, his voice getting quieter as the story came to an end. The feeling that surrounded the couple was indescribable, the warmth of the words pushing away the cold October air. Lily could imagine the tree in her mind and felt grateful for some reason that this was the story that James had decided to share.

“Of course, Ovid did live thousands of years ago. So the trees may be gone, but it’s a nice sentiment.” James know-it-all voice broke the reverie and Lily exploded into laughter. James joined her, and though the joke wasn’t that funny, they couldn’t stop themselves from laughing for a while.

When Lily finally collected herself, she rolled over onto her stomach and wiped at the tears of mirth in her eyes. James looked over at her in adoration.

“That’s a nice story.” She said, starting to pull at the loose threads of the blanket beneath her.

“I thought so too. It’s more of a legend than a story, to teach those who read it what kind of people they should try to be. But still, it gives you a reason to hope.”

His girlfriend grew thoughtful. “I wonder, if Jupiter and Mercury came to us, if they would allow us to die together. When we’re old and gray and our children have no need of us anymore.”

“Perhaps, if we ask nicely, they’ll even turn us into trees.”

Lily grinned. “I wouldn’t mind being a tree, wrapped around your tree, for the rest of eternity, if you must know, James Potter.”

He nodded, looking contemplative. “I don’t know. That sounds exhausting.” Lily gaped in mock horror and smacked him on the chest. He breathed out in amusement. “I’m just kidding. If we do become trees, Lily Evans, than I most certainly want to be wrapped around you.”

They grinned, overwhelmed with a feeling of love. After a moment, Lily turned to her side and began tracing her finger up and down James’ arm. “I wonder if we’ll ever have a conversation that doesn’t turn disgustingly romantic by the end of it.”

James pursed his lips. “I don’t think so. We’re just lucky to be in love, lady Lilith, and that means we get to be ridiculously happy about that whenever we please. And besides, when we don’t get romantic, we tend to get angry.”

This made her laugh. “You’re right. Maybe we should aim for having a conversation that doesn’t involve us either jumping each other’s bones or jumping down each other’s throats.”

“I don’t know. That seems like a tall order. I mean, I’ve been in love with you since year one, and you’ve hated me for most of that time. It would make sense for our relationship to echo that.”

He had a point, though Lily would never admit it. She didn’t mind the way they worked in a relationship though. She loved when he was romantic and sweet, but she also loved when he spoke his mind and was honest with her. While the things he was honest about often got them into spats, she didn’t want him to stop being honest. So, with this is mind, she resolved that if ever they were met with two shrouded strangers who would grant her a gift, the gift she wanted would be to spend everyday of her life with James Potter. It seemed like, if that was an option, it would be a good life.

“Well, despite the fact that you may be right, I think I’m going to change it up a bit.”

“What?” James declared dramatically. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to cope.”

Lily nodded, a sly look in her eye. “This is how this conversation is going to end: I, Lily Evans, despite the fact that I am devastatingly in love with James Potter, will now challenge him to a duel. I have it on good authority that there is going to be chocolate cake tonight for dinner. Whoever eats the most, wins.” With this she stood up, holding a hand down to her boyfriend.

“Oh ho, you are on, love.” He said, shaking her hand.

“Good.” She said quickly. “I also bet that you won’t be able to catch me.” With those words, she turned and took off, running back up the pathway toward the castle. James gaped after her before letting out a laugh. He grabbed his small book and his blanket before running after her.

“LILY!” He yelled, her squealing giggles picking up as she watched him begin the chase. He ran after her, leaving the waving branches of the willow tree behind him.

Is my history major nerdiness showing too much in this story? Whoops. I kind of have a thing for Ancient Roman Legends.