But For a Sword (A Matou Shinji Series AU)

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Trot by yourself at the front of the column of deathly horses, leading everyone to Hogwarts

---

As a new animagus, Hogwarts has provisions in the books to offer Shinji some special courses, though of course, each additional bit of coursework and training will result in him having less free time for himself. Acting Headmistress McGonagall, one of the few other registered animagi in the country, has offered to help him get used to his animagus form, learning the ins and outs of what it is capable of. Remus Lupin, the new Transfiguration Teacher, who apparently has experience working with Animagi, has offered to help him learn more advanced transfiguration abilities now that he has proven himself capable. And of course, Professor Kettleburn has offered to let Shinji take Care of Magical Creatures, or at least to get special instruction from him, as it is often helpful to learn more about the creatures one is most like.

What of these special offerings will Shinji take? (note that anything more than one will cut into his other time for commitments and self-study)

[ ] Animagus training
[ ] Transfiguration
[ ] Care of Magical Creatures
[ ] More than One

And as per usual, what class do you concentrate on most / which do you concentrate on least? (choose one for each - you may not drop Transfiguration if you choose it as a special class)

[ ] DADA
[ ] Transfiguration
[ ] History
[ ] Charms
[ ] Potions
[ ] Herbology

[Skull Leader]

[X] Animagus training
[X] + Herbology
[X] - Charms

Time with the actioning headmistress, sure why not? Explore the animagus. I am not one to cut into our self study since there lies our real skills. Plus I think we need free time to spend with Miyuki and friends. I am tempted to pick Care of magical creatures here so that Shinji can care for magical horse related animals to go along with his learning Herbology for Senpai. But I guess I can wait until next year for that class. Really I am fine with any of the three. Just don't go crazy here and pick two. Even if picking two would be the hufflepuff work ethic in play.

Focus on Herbology not for any of its bling but because if Shinji wants to get closer to Miyuki he really needs to learn more about Herbology. DADA or transfiguration are tied at a distant second to me.

As for what to hinder, I dislike just about all of these choices. Potions I am very tempted to do but since it really goes well with Herbology figured it is best not to screw that up. I am sure you all are tempted to yet again pick History but since this time it is taught by Lily's grandfather the class will actually be interesting and useful. Shinji can't slack on Transfiguration after everyone is going to look at him in the class now. And for the love of god, don't slack off on DADA, as Quirrell will destroy Shinji if he does. So I guess Charms? Yuck since Charms is just the other side of curses but oh well.

[shanagan]

[X] Transfiguration

[X] + Herbology
[X] - Charms

[Daiki]

[x] More than One (Animagus + Transfiguration)

I'm willing to take two here simply because McGonagall will not fill an entire slot by herself, simply because she will be busy. That probably means cancelled lessons and such, which will allow free time for self-study and other distractions. In the same way, Remus will be too weak to teach us anything during a certain phase of the moon, which also allows for free slots in our schedule.

So I'm going with a second pick, which will make up for the lack of focus on Transfiguration this year as well.

You will need every bit of help you can get to catch up with Senpai / become strong enough to stop being afraid of the big bad magician.

And it's not only the Hufflepuff creed; Shinji was studying during his winter and summer vacations, that's something people - those who matter most anyway - expect of him at this point. Plus, his new notoriety should make obvious that he has to up his standards a bit.

[x] Herbology (Focus)
[x] Charms (Drop)

Will get us closer to Senpai, as well as help us keep our potion-fu strong.

[skulkidcachi90]

[x] More than One (Animagus + Transfiguration)

[+] Potions
[-] History
[X] + Herbology
[X] - Charms

[Desann]

[x] Transfiguration

[x] + Herbology
[x] - Potions

[Dracueri]

[x] More than One (Animagus + Transfiguration)
[x]+ Herbology
[x]- History

[alfheimwanderer]

Special offerings: [x] More than One (Animagus + Transfiguration)
Classes: [X] + Herbology; [X] - Charms

---

And for his free time, how will he spend his time? (choose two)

[ ] Continue working with Miyuki in the greenhouse
[ ] Continue working with Selina on curses/soul magic
[ ] Train under Quirrell - who has offered to teach him more of the Dark Arts
[ ] Spend time with friends (Amber/Natsumi/etc)
[ ] (write-in)

[skulkidcachi90]

[ ] Continue working with Selina on curses/soul magic
[ ] Train under Quirrell - who has offered to teach him more of the Dark Arts

[Skull Leader]

[X] Continue working with Miyuki in the greenhouse
[X] Spend time with friends (Amber/Natsumi/etc)

Miyuki is a easy pick. But to me its fairly hard to pick between friends and soul magic. But given that Huffpuff Shinji spent so much time getting these friends and given his all ready heavily work load, I think it is better that we spend time with the friends rather than study more stuff. Plus best way to earn Miyuki points is to make Natsumi happy.

[Daiki]

[x] Continue working with Miyuki in the greenhouse.
[x] Spend time with all friends (Including Senpai + Party Guests at Shinji's + Lily)

As long as it's not a (manly) picnic, we should be good yeah?

[shanagan]

[X] Continue working with Miyuki in the greenhouse
[X] Spend time with friends (Amber/Natsumi/etc)

[alfheimwanderer]

[X] Continue working with Miyuki in the greenhouse
[X] Spend time with friends (Amber/Natsumi/etc)

---

I suppose soul magic will be put on hold then, since everyone is so eager to spend time with...friends. Ah, for the days of love and good friends - youth is so easily frittered away these days, I find. And it really isn't appreciated by the young very much, but perhaps that's just an old man talking.

Back to stuff...

---

Before the other first years are sorted this year, there is one "Third Year" who must be sorted by the Hat. One Rubeus Hagrid, who has been allowed to re-enroll at Hogwarts after having his name cleared in the matter of Moaning Myrtle's death. It is almost certain that he will be Professor Kettleburn's new assistant this term, and he certainly retains some staff privileges, but he must still be Sorted so that he can be given a class schedule.

Under the reign of Dumbledore as Headmaster, he would simply have been reinstated into Gryffindor, but McGonagall, recognizing that it would be poor symbolism to imply that people will always remain as they are (especially since she hopes to be appointed as the next Headmistress, not simply serve as the acting Headmistress until another person is selected for the position), has elected that Hagrid be sorted again.

Naturally enough, there is some betting as to just what House the half-giant will be placed into, with people giving all sorts of justifications for their choices (or their refusal to participate).

Does Shinji wish to participate in the betting?

[ ] Yes
[ ] No

If so, which House does he think Hagrid will be sorted into?

[ ] Gryffindor
[ ] Hufflepuff
[ ] Ravenclaw
[ ] Slytherin

And what/how much does he bet? (if you win, get back your original item/money, plus 3x its worth in money/items)

[ ] His Enchanted Pocketwatch (25 Galleons)
[ ] The Final Fortress: Guarding the Mind (5 Galleons)
[ ] Some amount of money (write in # of Galleons)
[ ] (write-in)

---

Completely aside from all this, we have Quirrell's Welcome Back Challenge, which casts students in the role of intrepid young "Hit-Wizards" tasked with exploring the Archive, a great library of lore on different magical beasts and beings compiled by a mighty wizard, which has become theoretically the possession of the State, as it is unclaimed following the last owner's death.

Unfortunately, the Archive is not...uninhabited, as the last owner - a necromancer of some cunning - apparently had various servants and acolytes about. Perhaps inhabited is not quite the right word, however, as early scouts discovered, much to their detriment, that the beings within had all been transformed into a strange variety of Inferi, whose bodies were...twisted, with various tentacle structures coming out of necks, armpits, torsos, or with arms mutated into angular structures.

Worse, the man appears to have experimented with different ways of making inferi more efficiently, resulting in the creation of various spore-releasing pods, incubator inferi in which these spores grow, and swarms of creatures which can inject such spore directly into an unarmored individual, transforming them into an inferius.

Should a single one of these escape into the world at large, the result would be an undead plague such as has never been seen, with any urban center being the source of a veritable flood of enemies.

For now, the perimeter has been sealed, with Aurors having orders to shoot any inferi on sight, should they emerge, yet the knowledge stored in the Archive, gathered - perhaps stolen - over the years from many governments and groups, is exceedingly valuable, meaning that one cannot simply destroy the building. Fortunately, however, what little is known about the tower - which has been jinxed to prevent apparition or use of portkeys in or out - suggests that on the top floor of the Archive, there is a weapon - a killswitch - for these inferi, and the twisted carriers of the undead infection.

Which is where the participants of the challenge come in.

Styled as Reclaimers, their job is to fight their way to the top floor of the Archive, retrieve the keystone for the weapon, and activate it, stopping the threat of this new variant of undead once and for all (and incidentally, giving the Ministry access to the lore of those who came before).

For the purposes of this exercise, participants will work in pairs (involving people of their year they have not worked with before), and each Reclaimer may choose 3 items from a special armory to assist them in their duties. Success is reaching the top and firing the weapon. Failure...is death.

Who will Matou Shinji work with?

[ ] Lily de Lune
[ ] Phelan Noel
[ ] Someone else (write-in)
[ ] He doesn't care - let Quirrell choose

[Skull Leader]

[X] No
[x] Phelan.
I am not a betting man plus Shinji does not really need to lose his items on this. Sure we need money but a handful of gallons is not worth it.

Sure Daiki you convince me to try Phelan here. Hopefully he will not let us down or attempt to melee all of them.

[Daiki]

Don't care much about the bet.

We will need someone who can fight at close range for that challenge and Shinji can't fill that slot since he lacks that kind of training. And neither Natsumi (who requires room to fight properly - against swarms she would be overwhelmed) nor Amber (who is more at ease against opponents she can bring down with a few piercing attacks - fighting undead mobs puts her at a disadvantage for that role) fit the bill.

Thus;

[x] Phelan.

Yeah, not exactly the most ideal pick in most situations but he can do the heavy lifting here. Also the challenge isn't some kind of mystery heavy event, or something his usual bravery is useless against, but, a straightforward progress and activate the switch at the end. We need someone who will not waver and push through the horde.

We can work best with Phelan on this one challenge because it will be a progression through a library full of monsters. He can open the path while Shinji takes care of whatever is outside Phelan's range. (Will have to select items in consequences for the respective roles)

Plus, as weird as it sounds Phelan mounting Shinji would work fine since he is used to riding horses in the first place.

I'm not picking Lily here, as we (and Shinji in particular) have no idea what she is capable of just yet.

[Dracueri]

[x] No
[x] Lily de Lune

[shanagan]

[x] No
[x] Lily de Lune

[alfheimwanderer]

2 Phelans, 2 Lilys.

Hmm...

[Desann]

[x] Phelan

[alfheimwanderer]

[x] Phelan.

---

Given that you are going to be embarking on a very dangerous mission - one which will need more than the usual hit-wizard loadout of a wand (and what other items you already owned), the Reclaimer Mercenary Company, from which you have been seconded, has authorized you to requisition 3 pieces of equipment from the armory they have built up over their years of service in goblin rebellions, giant wars, and other such conflicts. Some of these were created by British artisans. Some of these were commissioned abroad for the Reclaimers. Some of these...some of these are the spoils of war.

In any case, here are the items available.

Each Reclaimer participating in the mission may choose 3.

Armor:

- Goblin-silver full plate
- Goblin-silver mail
- Dragonhide cloak
- Shield cloak
- Goblin-silver Barding armor for a mount

Weapons:

- Goblin-wrought silver longsword (infused with basilisk venom)
- Holy Flametouched Iron Heavy Mace of Greater Undead Bane (obtained from a campaign in Germany - be warned, this is very, very heavy)
- Staff of Dark Flame (wrought from dragon bone) - effectively contains 5 fireball charges, enhances power of curses used
- Holy Flametouched horseshoes of Greater Undead Bane

Accessories:
- Invisibility Cloak
- Enchanted Goblin-silver Tower Shield
- Shield gauntlets (with regenerating shield charm)
- Ring of Fireballs
- Bubblehead Ring

Consumables:
- "Health Kits" - Reclaimer-proprietary mixes of healing potions, stimulants, and antidotes, guaranteed to keep you moving as long as you're not dead
- Reclaimer-proprietary Fiendfyre Potions (4x) - Exactly what it says. Each vial essentially contains bottled fiendfyre, which is excellent at destroying large groups of enemies. Beware, fiendfyre does not differentiate friend from foe, and the last thing one wants