#weekly runes

[theheidfox]

Weekly Rune (Sun, 03/23/25)

Visualize your question or needed advixe for the week and pic one of the three runes

Ready?

As always, Loki is alongside me on these readings and they are done after offerings and meditation.

1. Mannaz

The rune of man (as in mankind), indicates time to self-reflect and observation within yourself and others.  Embrace your journey of self-improvement being aware of everything around you, maybe its time to clean whatever doesn't bring you any more fulfillment or joy, but only keep you trapped in old ways. The universe is within yourself.

2. Sowilo

The rune of the Sun, this rune represents a time of happiness and hope, the beacon of life that makes everything on Earth possible. Embrace the growth, warmth and power and use it wisely, for the Sun is also an uncontrollable force.

3. Berkana

Berkana, the birch tree. This rune represent birth, fertily, growth and the regenerative power of Spring (that just arrived for half of the planet). Take this as an opportunity to invest your energy in what you really wish to see grow and bear fruit - always being mindful of what we wish for, for our intentions are the best nurturers.

[dreamiesgrimoire]

Ingwaz

[lokavisi]

We are in a tumultuous period of time. We are so overwhelmed by the work laid out before us. Even small victories can feel pointless at times. Remember to recognize the victory that is not only behind you but the one that is ahead. Visualize this victory. Feel the immense satisfaction of having achieved your goals and doing the work, fighting the good fight. When you tire, remember that victory is already yours so long as you keep fighting. Rest when you need to, of course. Wars are rarely over after one battle. Pick up the battles you can and leave the rest. There are others fight beside you. When we work together and trust and believe in one another to do their part, we win. We cross the finish line. Appreciate the victories of the battles won. Celebrate all our efforts no matter the outcome. Anticipate the victory that is yet to come and let that anticipation fuel you when the fight becomes so draining you don't wish to carry on. Every effort is a victory in and of itself. Keep building upon it until the war is won. You can do it. We can do it. Together.

[runefactorynonsense]

In memory of all the snow that melted today!

[andromedasdomain]

Weekly Rune to Start Off the Week: 10/16/2023

ᛣᛗᛁ

ᛣ Elhaz Reversed- Losing touch with your intuition, sense of vulnerability. Stay on guard for any trouble but don't become paranoid or filled with fear. Take care of your physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional health. Avoid making hasty decisions. Use your intuition to distinguish who is trying to take advantage of you, for your protection. ᛗ Mannaz-  Humanity, the self, support, assistance, intelligence, family. Remember that we, humans, are one and cannot make progress on our own, we need each other. If there is tension between what you perceive as your place in the Universe and who you are, it is best that you maintain self-awareness and choose carefully how you approach some situations (listen to your intuition). Keep an open mind when it comes to receiving help from others and lending a hand to people in need. ᛁ Isa- Obstacles, standstill, stagnation, delay, coldness. You are advised to accept your circumstance as a reality, focusing your energy on making progress to be ready once you are able to. Don't give up trying; don't assume that it is over, this situation is temporary and doesn't mean things won't work out in the end. Evaluate things from a cool perspective and ask yourself if you have been open and expressive about your feelings lately.

[doll-shaped-cyanide]

Update (3/11/24)

What I'm Into Now

MCU (Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Bucky Barnes)

The Hobbit (Characters: Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield

Progress Updates

MCU: Started making a rune system for the witches in the MCU; will expand in later posts

MCU: Toying around with a new AU where Bucky rescues the Maximoff twins and raises them. I've been calling it "Floriography"

Born Adventurer: Playing around with starting a second chapter

Sneak Peak

Floriography: "'Hello!' The older woman beamed at her, almost making Wanda blink in surprise. 'I’m May Parker and this is my nephew, Peter.' She nodded at the teenager next to her, who smiled at Wanda nervously. Clearly, he didn’t want to be here. Wanda remembered the times her papa had dragged her and Pietro to meet other kids their age and how they had hated every minute of it. She nodded at him in solidarity. 'We live across the hall. Are your parents home?' May Parker continued."

Born Adventurer: "Bilbo had always woken with the sun, and the first morning of this particular adventure was no exception."

Fic Recs

And with that, I'm officially on spring break! I'm very excited to spend the majority of the week working on the rune system and my AU, which I'm debating on a name for. Yes, my sudden lack of interest in PJO means I won't be working on Crows in the Garden for a while, but drafting the rune system and the AU is making me very happy. Once this little Marvel phase passes, I'll probably go back to working on my PJO stuff, so don't worry! That being said, have a great week, and I'll see you soon!

[365runesoftheamalgamations]

Words Into Potions [ 03 ]

hello and how are you, fellow Wanderers?

What's up Everyone! It's the end of the second week of March and while we haven't been super active around here, we did get some good writing done and over with this last week! The challenge is going well, we're having fun with the server, and hey, we're getting something out of the month, if nothing else, so it's all good! :D

Official Challenge Post | Introduction Post | Personal Challenge Tag

Weekly Check-In

Zero drafts are going well, even if these ones are definitely the prime example of why Zero Drafts are Zero Drafts. We are getting words together and down and all over the place, but we are writing! Honestly got a lot of motivation with just hearing that Zero Drafts can be just that and nothing else! So we're having a time just getting ideas and thoughts down.

This week ended up with a lot more words than the last time - it was only two days for that first "week" - but hey, we're heading forward with our goals, both daily and altogether!

Monthly Challenge Updates

Daily: 3,225 / 5,000 Words

Total: 47,563 / 150,000 Words

Weekly Badge Collection

So we ended up with a few more badges this week! They are as beautiful as always and we love to receive them, especially at the end of the week. We adore just collecting our badges and then being able to show them off to the worlds, especially with how much effort Luna and Seraph put into everything!

Added To The Collection:

I reached 20 Percent!

I reached 30 Percent!

I sent 10 WIP questions!

I wrote when I didn't want to!

I remembered to eat!

I twisted my plot!

[mauannacreates]

Writing Progress

Gosh, I have to admit, I feel so damn productive today!

I'm sure I wrote between 1500 to 2000 words today for one of my other WIPs,

I brought some paper (which I had to walk some distance to get) and printed my manuscript for Conjured Secrets.

And I will admit, even though my other WIP is (I assume) longer than Conjured Secrets, it will be interesting to see how long it is going to be. Especially since I feel like there's a lot more that can be explored in this one unlike Conjured Secrets.

[akanemnon]

sooo...chara's soul was split and SOMEHOW ended up as kris and frisk's soul. while I could spend hours asking *how* this happened, my first question that this raises is just...what are frisk and kris? they have puppet limbs, half a soul that isn't actually "their own'"...

maybe it's just bcs I loved reading the paper trail comic when it came out, but my brain immediately goes to

"oh. kris and frisk were made by someone or something, and they somehow each got half of chara's soul when they and azzy died."

ik this isn't paper trail (obv and I've never compared comics or series' to one another) but that's what my mind has landed on for my GUESS on what the actual fuck is happening. obv you don't have to post this because it's just me theorizing and ive never actually done an ask before lol

i love twin runes, and have been keeping up with every post for about a year now. it makes my sunday's very special. thank you sm akane for bringing us weekly angst, cuteness, cliffhangers, original darkners, and SOOO much more. I shall make fanart someday, mark my words

(I started one but it was shit and I lost the psd file lol)

happy holidays!!! see you for the new year 💜

Thank you so very much, guys! Have a teaser!

[chaaistained]

☕︎ my marauders dr; intro •°

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🗝️ you’ve now unlocked the recipe to my marauders dr ≈

name : julia ephemeri potter

age (when i shift) : 15 — i’m experiencing the whole slow burn.. and i just know it’s gonna be torture . but we persevere

— (when i post about my script) : most of the time, i’ll be talking about me from the ages of 16-21 onwards

occupation : student of witchcraft at hogwarts

+ (eventually) some form of adult occupation . i’ll edit this later i genuinely don’t know and i don’t need to know for good few years at least so..

details :

— house : gryffindor

— wand : sandalwood with a mermaid hair core , 9.5”

+ wand breakdown tbd

— patronus : brown bear / sable (undecided, i love both.. help)

— amortentia : ocean air , candle wax , musty paper

+ amortentia breakdown tbd

— fav subject : alchemy

— top subjects : (+ alchemy) ancient runes , charms , muggle studies

— pets : sadie / sadie sue (ginger tabby cat) , barnaby (brown barn owl , shared with james..)

side hobbies/hustles : gryffindor quidditch team seeker

+ (eventually) editorial team of the hogwarts herald

+ (eventually) prefect

s/o : regulus arcturus black ৻ꪆ

౨ৎ meet miss juju berry

an incandescence, forged of tart blood and a permeating sense of melancholy — she finds herself in a constant search, an unsolvable quest for meaning, latching onto anything that can define her identity and yet feeling irrevocably lost to herself — she is only the light, not the sun . she is only the shell, not the pearl . she is only the stain , not the blackberry

i unfurl into this reality with the kind of effervescence found in firewhiskey, a bubbling surprise of sorts, one that my own parents weren’t expecting. my mum calls me a gift, she calls my brother a blessing . i don’t know if the difference in term denotes a difference in how we’re perceived, and truth be told it drove me crazy as a kid and sometimes it still does but for whatever purpose or prosperity, the fates resolved that i was meant to be born and here i am

a toppling fire cracker of a girl, or so i’m told, i’m one of the rambunctious gryffindors that barrel down the marble hallways of hogwarts castle. i bunk with seven other girls, one of whom is my best friend — mary macdonald. along with the charming ravenclaw — emmeline vance — and a snark of a hufflepuff — hestia jones — the four of us can be found in various locations around the school campus; passed out in a heap on the softest patch of grass near the black lake , shooting pine cones over the whomping willow and keeping score of who gets the most over without the tree smacking them away , secluded in the third booth on the second floor of the library . our quills drying out while we distractedly ignore our transfiguration homework in favour of finding the right spell to conceal our carved names on the bottom of the booth’s oakwood table (the result of emmeline sneaking alcoholic butterbeer into the school, and a series of bad decisions later, we’d all drunkenly vandalised the furniture.. thankfully mcgonagall doesn’t know or i might lose my prefect badge)

with small flowers in my braid and golden earrings that shimmer as i shake my head, i slip between the sea of students with an ease that can only be spotted in the agile gait of a seeker. though, nothing about my speed on the ground can compare to that which i showcase when i’m hundreds of feet in the air, my broomstick being an extension of me, something i trust to a concerning degree, coming up with the sorts of tricks and techniques that would land me in the hospital wing if i wasn’t as good as i am. that attention to detail, the pedantic precision of my sight is also what makes me a renowned editor of the student body’s newsletter — a semi-professional scrapbook of a weekly issue, a holistic voice of all students from all houses . honestly it can be hard to maintain that harmony but perhaps that’s why dumbledore sanctioned the club, a forceful hand at coexisting

regardless, it’s the least of my worries, a pastime really, my main focus being the exceedingly irritating presence of a certain slytherin seeker, who grows more and more unbearable by the day, not to mention he’s constantly around, in almost all my classes, assigned to same hours of prefect patrol, not a moment of peace . and yet paired with that bothersome nuisance brews the burning desire to find out more

and if you want to know why, then i suppose you should keep reading

(merlin’s name, i can write intrigue splendidly, they should assign me as the journalist not just the bloody editor)

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

౨ৎ my black bird

a rising tide in his own right, he is determined to maintain what is deemed to be perfection, unwilling to admit that no two waves ever look the same, no two stars ever shine alike, there is no apex . and yet he tries. haunted by ancestry, rippling currents that pull him into the ravine of his family’s legacy, it’s a future he wishes to inherit whilst believing it impossible. until his brother abandoned his birthright and that status, that title, that name he always wanted to earn yet never actually trained for, was now his

that unassuming final breath before striking a curse, the calm interwoven with calamity, that’s what regulus feels in every waking moment .

there is a blurry haze of memories when he tries to decipher where it all began — did envy bleed out of him every time sirius entered the room and commanded attention with his mere presence? or was it admiration? did he love his brother or loath him? maybe neither, maybe both, maybe everything in between and nothing at all, it never made sense and it probably never will.

so then leaves the question of his own significance — fostered from birth? or handed down simply because he is the spare to the heir? in this instance both made sense but neither option would ever be clarified.

and so regulus chooses to not feel anything, reserve all emotions to be shared with a few select friends — evan and barty had a way about them, his laughter was not something he could hold back in their presence . dorcas founded a semblance of solitude even though the space was shared, as if their silence was a mutual understanding, a shorthand of sorts . pandora had the gift of gracing their group with his smile, he considered it a curse that she had such a superpower, to bring out these genuine joys in other people, but he knew she wouldn’t see it that way — those were his people

not his brother . who he shifted his eyes to look away from whenever they passed each other .. only to turn back and glance over his shoulder, observing the elder son’s movements, wishing he’d turn back too, and then hurriedly clenching his fist, squashing the thought before it even had the chance to breathe

not his parents . who stood tall yet hollow, ghosts of who they were before their family was “torn apart” according to them, holding metaphorical goal posts only to keep moving them higher and higher every time regulus attempted to score, before tutting as he slipped and fell, unable to maintain the impossible altitude of their expectations

no. his people were his friends, the people who could mellow out his misgivings, erode his stone walls

and yet, those stone walls remain intact, erosion takes time.

unless of course someone me shattered the very structure of his world view, erupting his life into firework flurries of emotions, clandestine nights, musty sunrises drenched in dew drops and fog, leaving a wafting air about the world, scented jasmine and blackberry, amber gold flecks embedded inside twin irises . the kind of beauty that haunts his dreams and burns fire in his heart

he really should not be giving in to such a tragically stupid connection, not when majority of the time is spent bickering amongst dusty textbooks, whispering shouts bouncing off cold castle walls in the middle of the night, hexes spewing back and forth before finally forfeiting from fear of being caught .. that isn’t what he should want

he shouldn’t want anything

and yet he does

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

౨ৎ candlelit hearts

sinking into an unknown abyss, falling from the sky with a smile on your face while the halo around your head crackles, wax dripping down the curve of your back, you were destined to fall, that’s what you are meant to do, that’s who you are meant to be — a tidal wave tore through your heart, engulfing you entirely and yet you let yourself descend deeper and deeper — for reasons unknown, you found a companion in the darkness, a fire in the flesh, a home between interlaced fingers, foreheads pressed together and a single flickering candle flame that burns bright from the magic of your shared love

it’s funny, when i look back at it. because i suppose we always knew the other existed, but i only really met him when i was 13..

whatever classes we shared before, whatever moments were missed where we walked past each other through hallways or on moving staircases, those never really registered.

i just remember the cold, the prickly sensation of snow on my bare fingertips, crunching under my feet, glittering from the shy slithers of sunlight that flitted through the bleak grey sky. the constant dinging bells, the sound of students exploring all that hogsmeade had to offer, and yet there we stood, facing each other in an alley between shops, frowning in a way that would become all too familiar in the years to come

for what it’s worth, it’s easy to dislike the guy — almost always beating me by a few marks, his facial expression was more than enough of a gloat in itself . creating nicknames for whatever trick i use in a quidditch match and always coming up with a counter move (he can’t ever let me win. personally speaking, of course, i win plenty of matches) . it’s always something with him, and whatever quick bursts of emotion i bring out are hurriedly buried under a blank expression and a tired, almost uninterested visage that boils my blood in a way i cannot possibly describe . and yet i find myself thinking about it, about him, in the ungodly hours of the night.. only to get back at him of course

and it isn’t as if i can speak for him, for the longest time i had no clue what he’d be thinking no matter how long i stared, trying to decipher his thoughts.. but i’d be an idiot to have not noticed a change — the way he would walk through life with a strive to prove himself and yet constantly controlling how much of that ambition he could show.. living each day almost half present, half minded, elsewhere entirely, focused on a far reaching future as if it was right around the corner

he wasn’t like that anymore, he seemed to flourish, to spark, to appear alive . but only when teetering on the tightrope of an improbable partnership, an impossible romance, a strange little love story written between the aged cushions of an abandoned couch, in a hidden lounge, behind an old potions classroom — we found it together . or, more so, we argued and raced to unlock the door first, but regardless, it was our space . a space in which the kindling fire of an unlikely friendship would blossom into something greater than i could ever hope for

and when the mysteries within the castle walls start to crack through, when the secrets between the students stir the cauldron of rumours, and the history of influential families begins to pull itself up from the grave .. i guess it’s not so surprising to admit, but someone as curious as me, paired with someone as persistent as regulus? it’s no big shock that we find ourselves in the middle of such a storm

one transmutation away from uncovering the truth, waking up old bones, and burying the new ones

don’t swallow the tea leaves ! for they leave you a message 🍂

the people have spoken (i’m referring to the poll) and so i post ^this .. it did take a while bcs of numerous reasons that i don’t want to go into but anyway, i adore this dr so so much and i’ve worked so hard on the fic version of it T^T however it is a bit too traumatic for me to actually live out so .. this dr is slightly more tame — i just want to relive high school in hogwarts with the people that helped me through a lot of the shit i faced when i was in high school and they were merely characters on a screen — although, i can’t help myself, there are a few mysteries and bouts of intrigue to keep me entertained, i just .need to figure out what.. i could leave it up to my subconscious but . i don’t wanna do that ≈

chaai brews; tea assortments — dr archive

2025 © chaaistained

[theheidfox]

Weekly Rune (Sun, 03/16/25)

Visualize your question, struggle or guidance needed for the upcoming days and pick a rune:

Loki was with me alongside this reading (I was sitting by his altar the whole time, after meditation and offerings), some of the words were directly from him or his way to explain things. Enjoy.

1) Jera

Patience. 

Things in life take time, anst everything has it's season. We can, of course, harvest before time but, isn't waiting part of the sweetness of the fruit? 

Hard work does pay off, as much as life seems unfair and scary right now, learn how to wait so you can bloom once more. Doesn't the seed hide underneath the surface during the cold winter, only to be full of life again once the spring arrives? 

Just take a deep breath, hasty decision only spoil the fruit (or leave you with a bad aftertaste). Be wit, choose your battles. Rest if you need to.

Life will bloom again.

2) Othala

Odin's rune, Ancestry, Birth Right. Othala reminds us how important it is to remember who we truly are and what's your by right. Now, family doesn't necessarily start or end in blood, and as it is enriching, it can be limitating. So, as much as sometimes you feel like you can never break free from this cycle, it is not the truth. Acknowledge who you are and everything and everyone  that took part creating you, but don't let it cage you. Look within yourself, where does your soul reside? Honor your (true) roots.

3) Uruz (reversed):

The wild ox, a rune associated with Thor and his mighty power and strength, but here we see it in reverse as a sign of caution.

Difficulties, fear, health or any other issue might be what feel like it's draining your life force, bleeding you out like cattle on a farm. As hard as it is to feel and understand this, Thor reminds us that it is okay to ask for help and to take a step back. If the issue is not on the physical body, but another sickness of the mind - so common in our days - Thor (and Loki, for that matter) urge you to remember that only you can give away your power, for true strength comes from within. In Loki's words, "You only owe yourself" (that exact phrase echoed on my mind while writting this). No one can take your power, as long as you reclaim it. Sometimes our weakness is just our fear mirroring in a way that we feel like we're being dragged and exploited by others. Focus on yourself, on your strength and on your truth.

______________________________

Overall the guidance for the week seemed to be a lot about introspection and patience, understanding the point you are and where you intent to be. Be smart, pick your battles wisely and save your strenght. Like the currents to the sea, this too shall pass and change and guide us to new beginnings - for your truth fire burns within.

[dreamiesgrimoire]

Perthro

Got carried away with this one, lost focus and been all over the place. Trying to get back on track. This the weekly rune from 2 weeks ago.

[lokavisi]

The blood, sweat, tears, and, most importantly, love of thousands and thousands of people are the reason you exist here today. All of the ancestors that came before who fought the good fight are here with you now. Whether they are ancestors of blood, order, community, or even the ancestors that are yet to be. Those who are aligned with you and your values are here to support you during this challenging time. When you feel like you can't go any further, lean on them. Remember their strength and how it brought you here. Remember that your strength and perseverance will offer the same support to future generations. Tap into the energies, skills, and strengths of your ancestors. Their strength is your strength. It is already inside of you. You just have to claim it.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hogwarts Classes (Part 1)

@wisteria-lodge reminded me recently of my notes regarding Hogwarts classes schedule, so I decided to take a stab at it again. The reason I haven't made this post up until now is that I could not, for the life of me, make the schedule make sense. Like, I'd explain it a little later in this post, but for classes to run as they do in the books we have to assume that certain classrooms exist multiple times in the same spot and that all the teachers have time turners.

This post would have two main purposes:

Determine how students are divided into classes based on book evidence.

Determine the class load and homework load that Hogwarts students have (how many weekly classes do they have).

The final attempt at a schedule will come at part 2 if/when I ever make something coherent.

I also want to note that in my fic I will likely contradict some of the information I'm bringing up here since I have a fanon schedule for their classes that makes way more sense than the picture the books paint. So if you notice these discrepancies, that's on purpose.

All that being said, let's get into it:

Classes Division

Let's start with laying down some important baseline numbers:

Hogwarts has about 700 students.

So each year has about 100 students.

Each house per year has about 25 students.

There are 7 mandatory classes, all students of all houses take until O.W.Ls (Potions, Herbology, Transfiguration, Charms, History, Astronomy)

And each student takes 2 or more electives until O.W.Ls (Care / Divination / Muggle Studies / Ancient Runes / Arithmancy -> 5 electives in all).

Flying class only for first years.

Grade distribution for OWLs goes something like this:

(this is relevant for later discussion of NEWT classes. This table was made for this post, but adjusted to fit my current estimate of the Hogwarts population)

Now, as we only have 12 professors (13 if we count Madam Hooch), I always operated under the assumption classes at Hogwarts are taught to at least 2 houses of students per year, which will give us classes of 50 students (25 *2 = 50). That being said, reading the books, this doesn't appear to be the case for all classes.

When Gryffindor has a class with Slytherin, I can always tell since Harry is going to mention Draco at some point, but when it comes to other houses it's harder to tell, but I collected everything I could find here.

Joint Classes (pre-O.W.Ls)

1. Flying - Gryffindor & Slytherin (I assume Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw have this class together)

The Slytherins were already there, and so were twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground. (PS)

(Whether the 20 brooms refer to the unmanned brooms for 20 Gryffindors arriving or if JKR can't decide how large a year at Hogwarts is is anybody's guess. Someone needed to tell her there can't be 10 students in Harry's year in Gryffindor and hundreds of students in Hogwarts)

This line makes it clear it's only Gryffindor and Slytherins first years flying together.

2. Potions - Gryffindor & Slytherin (I assume Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw have this class together)

“Double Potions with the Slytherins,” said Ron.  (PS)

And it's clear potions continues in this way in later years:

Double Potions was always a horrible experience, but these days it was nothing short of torture. Being shut in a dungeon for an hour and a half with Snape and the Slytherins (GoF)

(I do want to note "double potions" is an hour and a half long, making a "regular potions" 45 minutes long)

As Harry refers to the joint classes like this:

Still, first-year Gryffindors only had Potions with the Slytherins (PS)

It appears it really is all first-year Gryffindors and all first-years Slytherins sharing these classes. I assume all joint classes work this way.

3. Care of Magical Creatures - Gryffindor & Slytherin (I assume Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw have this class together)

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had taken over Buckbeak. He had bowed to Malfoy, who was now patting his beak, looking disdainful. (PoA)

And the one line mentioning Theo cause I have to 💖:

There were only two other people who seemed to be able to see them: a stringy Slytherin boy standing just behind Goyle was watching the horse eating with an expression of great distaste on his face, and Neville, whose eyes were following the swishing progress of the long black tail. (OotP)

4. Herbology - Gryffindor & Hufflepuff (I assume Slytherin & Ravenclaw have this class together)

Ernie Macmillan asked Harry quite politely to pass a bucket of leaping toadstools in Herbology one day (CoS)

And again later in the series:

Susan Bones, who had an uncle, aunt, and cousins who had all died at the hands of one of the ten, said miserably during Herbology that she now had a good idea what it felt like to be Harry. (OotP)

5. Astronomy - Gryffindor & Hufflepuff (I assume Slytherin & Ravenclaw have this class together)

“It’s very hard to Stun a giant, they’re like trolls, really tough... But poor Professor McGonagall... Four Stunners straight in the chest, and she’s not exactly young, is she?”

“Dreadful, dreadful,” said Ernie, shaking his head pompously. “Well, I’m off to bed... ’Night, all ...”

(OotP) - Astronomy Practical Exam

It's possible the classes are divided differently for the exam, but the fact you have both Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors there means there are enough telescopes for all of them. We also know the Slytherins aren't there as Harry would've mentioned Draco chuckling at McGonagall getting stunned or something. So I think it's a fair conclusion Gryffindor and Hufflepuff share Astronomy class.

Likely joint Classes (pre-O.W.Ls)

6. Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle studies

Likely joining classes like Care (Gryffindor & Slytherin and Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw). The fact Hermione knows Theo when Ron and Harry don't suggests she shares a class with him, Ron and Harry don't:

He saw them with their heads together later that afternoon in the library, together with a weedy-looking boy Hermione whispered was called Theodore Nott. (OotP)

7. Divination

Divination classes only ever mention Gryffindor students in the class, my guess is that this elective, too, is joint with Slytherin, but that no Slytherins in Harry's year take Divination.

Solo or Unknown Classes (pre-O.W.Ls)

8. DADA - Solo

It seems Gryffindor studies Defence alone. In the two scenes where you'd most expect students from outside of Gryffindor to be mentioned if they are present, don't mention them:

In PoA, during the Boggart lesson, only Gryffindor students face the Boggart.

In OotP, during the first class with Umbridge, only Gryffindor students speak up. Ravenclaws & Hufflepuffs would've spoken up and if Malfoy was there, we would know.

9. Charms

Only Gryffindors are ever mentioned in this class, but since Charms lessons are almost never written out, it's possible they are shared with either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff.

Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Harry’s partner was Seamus Finnigan (PS)

10. History of Magic - Solo

In CoS, in the class Hermione brings up the Chamber of Secrets, only Gryffindors ask questions:

“But, sir,” said Seamus Finnigan, “if the Chamber can only be opened by Slytherin’s true heir, no one else would be able to find it, would they?” “Nonsense, O’Flaherty,” said Professor Binns in an aggravated tone. “If a long succession of Hogwarts headmasters and headmistresses haven’t found the thing —” “But, Professor,” piped up Parvati Patil, “you’d probably have to use Dark Magic to open it —” “Just because a wizard doesn’t use Dark Magic doesn’t mean he can’t, Miss Pennyfeather,” snapped Professor Binns. “I repeat, if the likes of Dumbledore —” “But maybe you’ve got to be related to Slytherin, so Dumbledore couldn’t —” began Dean Thomas, but Professor Binns had had enough. (CoS)

If other houses were there, they would've asked something. Like with Charms though, I consider it possible Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw are there and just not saying anything, though, unlikely.

11. Transfiguration - Solo

Harry overheard him telling Professor McGonagall so while the Gryffindors were lining up for Transfiguration. (CoS)

Only Gryffindors waiting outside the class. And again in PoA:

They had Transfiguration next. Harry, who had resolved to ask Professor McGonagall after the lesson whether he could go into Hogsmeade with the rest, joined the line outside the class trying to decide how he was going to argue his case. He was distracted, however, by a disturbance at the front of the line. Lavender Brown seemed to be crying. Parvati had her arm around her and was explaining something to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas, who were looking very serious. (PoA)

Sumamry

Most classes are likely paired for two houses.

Flying, Potions, and all electives are shared by Slytherin & Gryffindor and likely Ravenclaw & Hufflepuff.

Herbology and Astronony are shared by Hufflepuff & Gryffindor and likely Slytherin & Ravenclaw.

Charms might be shared as well. I assume Gryffindor shares it with Hufflepuff as it seems Harry knows Hufflepuffs better than Ravenclaws:

Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait down her back whose name Harry did not know [Susan]; three Ravenclaw boys he was pretty sure were called Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot (OotP)

Transfiguration, DADA, and History of Magic seem to be taught to each house separately in classes of 25.

Post-O.W.Ls, how classes are organized changes becouse fewer students are taking each class, allowing teachers to merge classes.

Joint Classes (post-O.W.Ls)

1. Potions - All Houses

When they arrived in the corridor they saw that there were only a dozen people progressing to N.E.W.T. level. Crabbe and Goyle had evidently failed to achieve the required O.W.L. grade, but four Slytherins had made it through, including Malfoy. Four Ravenclaws were there, and one Hufflepuff, Ernie Macmillan, whom Harry liked despite his rather pompous manner. (HBP)

2. Herbology - Still shared Gryffindor & Hufflepuff and Slytherin & Ravenclaw

There had been a horrible incident the day before, when Hannah Abbott had been taken out of Herbology to be told her mother had been found dead. They had not seen Hannah since. (HBP)

Herbology is considered a "softer" subject, and not many fail, which could be why classes remained in their former sizes.

3. DADA - Gryffindor & Slytherin (I assume Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw have this class together)

The class is shared with Slytherin:

“An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six,” said Snape dismissively (over in the corner, Malfoy sniggered) (HBP)

And apparently no other house:

Although Snape did not know it, Harry had taught at least half the class (everyone who had been a member of the D.A.) how to perform a Shield Charm the previous year. None of them had ever cast the charm without speaking, however. […] Behind Snape, however, Ron, Dean, and Seamus grinned appreciatively (HBP)

Likely joint Classes (post-O.W.Ls)

4. All Electives (Divination, Care, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Muggle Studies)

I assume they are shared by all houses like Potions since many students likely drop them after O.W.Ls like Harry and Ron (and many of them like Divination didn't have many students to begin with).

5. History of Magic - Everyone

This is a subject I also assume N.E.W.T students share since most students likely drop it, so the class should be small enough.

6. Astronony

Couldn't find anything, but i assume it's joint by at least two houses (like pre 5th year).

Solo or Unknown Classes (post-O.W.Ls)

7. Transfiguration - Solo

“— and what is more,” said Professor McGonagall, with an air of awful finality, “Mr. Malfoy was not in Hogsmeade today.” Harry gaped at her, deflating. “How do you know, Professor?” “Because he was doing detention with me. He has now failed to complete his Transfiguration homework twice in a row. So, thank you for telling me your suspicions, Potter,” (HBP)

In the above quote it appears Harry didn't know Draco didn't submit his Transfiguration homework multiple times. Since HBP is the height of his Malfoy obsession, we can be assured from this that Slytherin isn't studying Transfiguration with Gryffindor.

Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Professor McGonagall asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. (HBP)

Again, only Gryffindors are mentioned to be in Transfiguration classes, though it's possible they are shared with Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw, if unlikely.

I take this to mean Transfiguration is a very popular subject to take N.E.W.Ts in, that looks good on your resume, so most students stick with it.

8. Charms

Nothing is mentioned (that I could find), but as it's seen as a "soft" subject like herbology, I assume the class size is similar and it's two houses sharing these classes.

Sumamry

N.E.W.T classes are emptier, and therefore more subjects are shared by all houses.

Potions, History, and all electives are shared by all houses.

Herbology is still shared by Gryffindor & Hufflepuff and Slytherin & Ravenclaw. (Astronomy likley as well)

Charms is probably also shared by more than one house.

DADAs N.E.W.T classes are now shared by Gryffindor & Slytherin and Hufflepuff & Ravenclaw.

Transfiguration (likely the most popular N.E.W.T subject) is still a single house class.

Weekly Workload

As we mentioned, we have 7 mandatory subjects and 5 elective ones (flying doesn't count). Each subject has one professor, leaving us with 12 professors overall, one per subject. (and one of the worst student: teacher's ratios I've ever witnessed)

The news about his shouting match with Umbridge seemed to have traveled exceptionally fast even by Hogwarts standards. [...] The following day dawned just as leaden and rainy as the previous one. [...] Double Charms was succeeded by double Transfiguration

(OotP) - The day after the first lesson with Umbridge, a.k.a Tuesday.

It was another bad day for Harry; he was one of the worst in Transfiguration, not having practiced Vanishing Spells at all. He had to give up his lunch hour to complete the picture of the bowtruckle, and meanwhile, Professors McGonagall, Grubbly-Plank, and Sinistra gave them yet more homework

(OotP) - Transfiguration on a day without Charms sometime later in the week.

So, at least 3 Transfiguration classes in a week.

“History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defense Against the Dark Arts . . . Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! [...] “Look what we’ve got today,” said Ron grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred’s nose. “That’s the worst Monday I’ve ever seen.”

(OotP) - Double Potions on Monday

said Snape. “Homework: twelve inches of parchment on the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making, to be handed in on Thursday.”

(OotP) - Another Potions class on Thursday

Meaning there are also at least 3 weekly Potions lessons.

And in PS:

Three times a week they went out to the greenhouses behind the castle to study Herbology (PS)

Harry outright says there are 3 Herbology classes.

So, for the rest of the calculations I will use the assumption they have 3 weekly classes in each subject (except Flying, but I don't really count it anyways). I will be counting Astronomy, since I assume not all Astronomy classes are midnight observation classes:

They had to study the night skies through their telescopes every Wednesday at midnight and learn the names of different stars and the movements of the planets (PS)

Harry mentions a study session of the night sky on Wednesday, and learn the names and movements separately, so I assume there is 1 midnight class and 2 regular lecture classes. (They repeatedly fill in star charts, a cold, dark, tall tower is great for stargazing, not so great for filling up charts).

For Students before O.W.Ls, we have 5 years of students, each with various class divisions:

Potions, Elective 1, Elective 2, Herbology, Charms, and Astronomy - shared by 2 houses -> 36 weekly classes per year.

Transfiguration, DADA, History - solo classes -> 36 weekly classes per year.

So, all students between years 1-5 (together) are taught 360 classes a week or 270 hours.

Then in years 6-7:

Potions, History, Elective 1, Elective 2 - shared by all houses -> 12 weekly classes per year.

Herbology, DADA, Charms, Astronomy - shared by two houses -> 24 weekly classes per year.

Transfiguration - solo class -> 24 weekly classes per year.

So that adds another 60 weekly class (45 hours) these poor professors need to teach.

We have 12 professors teaching (together) 420 classes a week (with McGonagall teaching more than any other teacher). Which, I don't think makes sense mathematically. Like, McGonagall would have to teach 84 classes a week (in the same classrooms) which means she teaches 16.8 classes every day even though school doesn't continue into the afternoon. Somehow. Not going into how all professors have time turners or clones of their classrooms. I don't want to touch that now.

Now, if each class only happens 3 times a week (it's already an unreasonable workload on the professors, and that's the minimal number according to the books), each student then (before year 6th when many drop subjects left and right) will have 27 weekly classes -> 5.4 daily classes they need to get to. (Or 20.25 hours a week, 4.05 hours a day).

As for how much homework they have to complete and how much of their week is taken up by schoolwork:

9 classes, let's say they get essays in 8 (Binns doesn't give homework and I'm counting for students who take electives that do give out homework).

A4 paper is 11.69 inches long and includes roughly 400 words (assuming average writing size). That means that a "2 feet" essay would be roughly 800 words. (most of their assignments are less than 2 feet and most often are "1 foot of parchment", but I'm going for a worst case scenario).

10-12 words per minute is the average writing speed for 1st years (5th-6th grade. Study used us from 1995).

Each 2-foot essay will take 1 hour and 20 minutes, lets round it up to 2 hours, to complete (approximately).

We'll give them another 2 hours for research.

4 * 8 = 32 weekly homework hours.

So Harry and Ron's complaints about the homework load on weeks where every teacher assigns a footlong essay actually make sense. That could really accumulate to be quite a lot of work.

In this worst-case scenario of homework above (that might need more research time, depending on assignment) they will spend 20 hours in classes + 32 hours on homework = 52 hours a week on schoolwork.

So, this is the end of part 1 of this, not sure when/if I'll get to part 2. It really depends on if I could rangle the information to be coherent, which is hard to do when it's clear JKR only had notes regarding the schedule of Harry's class alone and no one else for each book — meaning the moment we try to apply this information school-wide, issues start to emerge and professors need to basically constantly be in more than one place at once. (Why aren't there more professors? That could have been such an easy solution!)

[andromedasdomain]

Advice for this Week: Runic Reading.

ᛈᚾᛚ ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

ᛈ Perthro reversed- Don't waste energy focusing on external circumstances, let your happiness come from your inner self instead.

ᚾ Nauthiz- Don't allow the bitterness to cloud your mind but use these circumstances as learning experiences for the future, focus only on the essentials at this time.

ᛚ Laguz- Go with the flow instead of trying to control the circumstances, as hard as it might seem, and stay open to advice from the higher realms. Adaptability is very important at this time.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

[ranchstoryblog]

Gematsu: Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma launches May 30 (via Famitsu)

The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, due out on January 16, has a 16-page feature on the Japanese culture-inspired Rune Factory game, introducing the story, protagonists Subaru (voiced by Junya Enoki) and Kaguya (voiced by Yuishikawa), their fluffy companion Mocoron (voiced by Ai Kakuma), the “fantasy life” game cycle, and the protagonist’s 12 love interests including the mysterious archaeologist Hina (voiced by Shiina Natsukawa), the sky-faring adventurer Mauro, and the vibrant teashop owner Iroha. It also has a special interview with game director Shiro Maekawa.

More at Gematsu's link. We'll also be sure to share any forthcoming English press release when we receive it.