On Target

[alt_ron]

So I've been working on stuff for CCF, and it's been totally snitch. All those agility exercises they showed us--drop and rolls, jump-ups from lying or sitting, levitation lift-offs, crawling under the low obstacle thinger, the dodge and weave running--I'm getting loads better at all of it.

But the balance plank. Oi. Come to think of it, I'd better check that for hexes again.

And I've been doing loads of target drills. Hanging upside down's dead on my favourite! Spin and cast could be better.

The best thing, though? The twins and I've been flying down to Beer Head, and we've made a really wizard climbing course up the cliffs there.

There aren't many wizards who live down on that part of the coast, but we've seen a few fishing boats in the cove. Stopped into a pub one day, and this old warlock told us loads of stories about how the men of Beer were all pirates and about this one chap called Jack Rattenbury, who was the king of smugglers. Back in the 1700s, I mean. Not now. I don't think. Anywiz, they don't seem to mind us coming down there and climbing the cliffs. One day there were some kids who came down to the beach and watched us, but mostly we only ever see buzzards circling around, or ravens. A kingfisher or two.

Anywiz, what are you lot doing? Anything nift?

Comments

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

Hey, Nev. How's the camping? Have you caught any fish or seen anything snitch?

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

We've been fishing every day, because fish's what we eat for breakfast. We climbed one of the peaks yesterday. My feet are all over blisters, but the view was splendid. We're having ever so much fun.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

When is it you get home? I'm sure Mum would let me invite you for a day this week if you could come. After that it's back to CCF, y'know, for a fortnight. But we could do it after that, too.

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_neville]

Oh, but I want to invite you over, because we'll be having a get together for my birthday. It's the 30th, you know. I get home on the 27th. I've been talking with Gran about maybe going back to Blackpool, but she hasn't decided yet. I'll let you know!

Re: I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_ron]

That'd be snitch, Nev. Blackpool was awesome, really.

And we're older now, so we could do some of the things they wouldn't let us before, like the Hall of Hexes and the Vortex of Doom thinger that whips you round and round. Those looked awesome, and it was really argh! you had to be thirteen already or you couldn't do them.

[alt_susan]

That climbing course sounds wizard--and the pub too! I love it when old warlocks & witches want to tell you really mad old stories.

I've been doing some flight agility stuff with Ed but I haven't kept up with some of the other things as well as I'd like.

[alt_ron]

Yeah. This lot had loads of good stories to tell. It was like they were all out of Brotherhood of the Bat books or True Tales or something.

Well, yeah. I've still got those things to read for CCF. Wish those were adventure stories.

[alt_zacharias]

I've met up with MacMillan a couple of times but I suppose I ought to get back into the habit of running every day. I did go with my uncle to one of those clubs with a course set up in it, it was really hard. Harder than anything we did at the CCF camp, that's for sure.

Up our way we've got the ghost of Quintus Cerialis, of course. And Ethelred the Bloody. They weren't pirates; they were soldiers. And they've got loads of stories about defending the city against northern raiders and Vikings and such.

[alt_ron]

Where is it you live?

Seems like every place has stories, but it's wicked if you've got ghosts, too. I mean, not just in some folks' houses, but in town. Ottery St Catchpole doesn't, but there are some of the villages around that've got really wizard ones. Bloody ones. And wailers, too, some of 'em.

[alt_zacharias]

We've got two houses. Ordinarily we live in Surrey but there's also this old family place in York. That's where all the ghosts are. It's one of the most haunted cities in Britain - and one of the oldest, of course.

[alt_ron]

Oh, York. Yeah, that explains why one of those ghosts sounds like he was a Viking, innit?

So is that where you are now, York? I've never been there, but we had a whole load of books about the Vikings, and how they fought everyone and took all their gold and were totally wizard and terrifying and all. And this one story was about this Viking kid coming with his father and uncles and all to York when it wasn't even a city yet and having all these awesome adventures.

I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good

[alt_sally_anne]

I've been practising some but not as much as I should. It's just there's no TIME. Gemma follows me everywhere and I'm trying to learn Arithmency -- Professor Vector said I could join the class if I could learn the first year's worth over the summer (so I could drop out of Dark Arts without losing an OWL) and I'm trying. Jeremy has a NEWT in it and he said he'd help me, but he's not very good at explaining things and it makes me cross-eyed half the time it's so confusing.

Anyway. I've kept up with running. And I get flying in every day, and I even have a target, but the pull-ups -- I don't have anywhere to put a bar. And I hate doing sit ups so much that it's hard to make myself do them.