29 Oct 2020, 03:50
The why and how of food
Nothing was quite as puzzling to Julian as the non-chalance with which his fellow Hufflepuffs seemed to approach meals at Hogwarts. Every day, they sat at their house table and watched as food simply appeared on the table as if it were the most normal thing in the world (and Julian had to assume, for most of them, it was). It certainly wasn't normal for him, though. Even if magic of all sorts was slowly becoming part of his everyday, he knew this, in particular, shouldn't be possible. The food could not just come from nowhere. He knew this because he'd read the introduction to his transfiguration textbook; the little section that discussed why he should be excited to pursue the subject, and all the things it could do, as well as those it couldn't. And food from nothing? That was in the latter category.
That meant that someone must be producing the food.
But where? How?
It was a most intriguing mystery.
Julian had spent the first few meals with an eye to the staff table, hoping to catch one of the staff in the magical act of summoning the food. He'd had no luck so far, though, and had been forced to conclude that it must be something about the tables that was enchanted. Unfortunately, he had no idea how enchanting objects worked, really. Could you tell?
A few days into term, he decided to find out.
He did not leave for his common room, as usual, when supper was finished. Instead, he took a book and read for a bit as he waited for the hall to empty out enough that he'd have free rein. Once most people were gone, he stood up and walked over to one end of the Slytherin table (he figured he'd go systematically, from one end of the Hall to other), got on his knees and crawled underneath. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he figured he might try tapping around with his wand to see if it would do something. He'd seen grown wizards do it before--the entrance to Diagon Alley stood as the most stark example. Maybe magical objects could recognise other magical objects.
That meant that someone must be producing the food.
But where? How?
It was a most intriguing mystery.
Julian had spent the first few meals with an eye to the staff table, hoping to catch one of the staff in the magical act of summoning the food. He'd had no luck so far, though, and had been forced to conclude that it must be something about the tables that was enchanted. Unfortunately, he had no idea how enchanting objects worked, really. Could you tell?
A few days into term, he decided to find out.
He did not leave for his common room, as usual, when supper was finished. Instead, he took a book and read for a bit as he waited for the hall to empty out enough that he'd have free rein. Once most people were gone, he stood up and walked over to one end of the Slytherin table (he figured he'd go systematically, from one end of the Hall to other), got on his knees and crawled underneath. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he figured he might try tapping around with his wand to see if it would do something. He'd seen grown wizards do it before--the entrance to Diagon Alley stood as the most stark example. Maybe magical objects could recognise other magical objects.
29 Oct 2020, 18:14
The why and how of food
September 11, 2020
Interacting: @Julian Pritchard
Mentioning: N/A
Ever since she set foot in Hogwarts, everything Jasmine's gaze landed on seemed to her like a new mystery to unravel. She thought she had come to the castle prepared, having read conscientiously anything she could about the famous wizarding school, and yet she kept getting surprised every passing day. For instance, one of the first things that stuck out to her was the dining arrangements. Not that her being used to Muggle institutions made her unable to fathom another, more magically-oriented way of approaching meals, but she just couldn't believe that none of her Gryffindor brethren were at least a bit intrigued by the origins of the food which materialized in front of their very eyes.
The girl had spent the last week and some pondering on its source and concluded all that food must come from somewhere. Indeed, it couldn't just appear from thin air, or Lavoisier's work would be put to shame. Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed. His quote wouldn't have stood the test of time if it didn't hold at least some truth.
Then again, it would seem reasonable to think maybe magic didn't apply to such rules, but she knew the Professor of Transfiguration would strongly disagree. Therefore, the food she had been eating ever since her Sorting Ceremony had to be produced somewhere. Her new issue was figuring out where.
Her best clue remained the Great Hall, the very place where the mysterious apparitions occurred. Hence, she came to dinner prepared, a few books related to the castle's history and legends hidden under her robe, and patiently waited at her table for the students to disperse and the Hall to empty enough to begin her search.
She had kept an eye on the Professors' Table, hoping to observe the slightest glimpse of a wand or any slim indication of an act of summoning, but hadn't had any luck so far. Thus, the most upfront possibility left was for there to be a magical mechanism hidden under the table. For some reason, she thought it might be simultaneously too simple and too complicated of a system for it to be the solution, but she had to try it, if only for her peace of mind.
Just as the girl thought it should be time to start her investigation, her eyes wandered over to the adjacent tables and fell on a boy, seemingly a Hufflepuff, approaching resolutely the Slytherin table. Intrigued, she kept her gaze on him long enough to watch him crawl underneath it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. A smile crept up her lips, as she waited, fruitlessly, for him to come back up. When she concentrated a bit she could see it seemed like the boy was looking for something, lightly tapping his wand as if he were trying to open the passage to Diagon Alley.
It was too amusing a sight for her to ignore. Almost forgetting she planned on doing something similar moments ago, she got up to approach the boy, silently crouching to look at him, a small smile still on her face.
"What are you doing?"
i speak in #7B46A3