Invisa nobilia. This post has been enchanted.

If are able to read this, you are obviously of magical blood.

After weeks of anticipation and preparation, our local Gryffindor friends joined us for our first day of Hogwarts Home Study lessons! The table was set with candlesticks, cauldrons, books, wands, and pets -- toad and owl, specifically. We began with the school song, of course.

Owl posts from Hogwarts professors gave us our instructions. First came Potions. Professor Snape had the students make Invisibility Crystals. For Herbology, Professor Sprout explained the long and enchanting history of the popular legume, pisum sativum, and then had the children plant three varieties: sugar snap, snow pea, and a shelling pea.

Professor MacGonagall directed us to complete a rather complicated Transfiguration lesson, but these First-Years had no trouble. They were happy to wield knives and garlic presses in order to turn split pisum sativums into Soup!


Unhappily, the father of our fellow Gryffindors spent the day suffering from a large kidney stone. Happily, the ER wizards were able to give him some pain antidotes, which I pray last long enough to get the job done. Tomorrow, his students will spend the morning with us again so he can get a stint put in.

The kids wanted to know if we'd have more lessons to do tomorrow, but I haven't received further owls from the professors. We will, however, have plenty of time for Wizard's Chess and knitting, plus a little broom-free Quidditch practice on the trampoline!