Session Summary

AI Generated Summary

The intense pressure of your magical calling continued to mount as Professor Jackdaw Finch finally pulled back the curtain on the Ministry’s plans for the D.I.A.D.E.M.s and offered startlingly candid insights into his own clandestine mission at Hogwarts. He revealed that the faculty harbors resentment toward his Ministry of Magic associations, confirming his role as an Investigator in the Department of Mysteries, more usually tasked with monitoring the Hall of Prophecy. The Ministry sought volunteers to embed themselves at the school to prevent powerful young wizards from "going dark," a role Finch accepted primarily to investigate the disappearance of his brother, Septimus.

Finch confirmed that Septimus vanished eight years prior in the Forbidden Forest, not merely lost to a beast, but while actively pursuing a plan with Headmaster Dippet and Professor Slughorn to "make the forest safer for wizardkind"—a plan involving controlling paths, negotiating a centaur treaty, and placating goblins interested in mining the area for ancient magic. Signaling the direct nature of your training, Professor Finch handed Basil a Messaging Scrap, designed to carry short messages exclusively between the DIADEMs and Finch. He then announced your first official field trip: helping establish the initial operation at the HVMC-run Hogwarts Valley Mine in the last week before half term. This would help Kiko, an old goblin friend of his and, you suspect, a possible source of information in Jackdaw's hunt for his brother.

Amidst this heightened scrutiny and political maneuvering, personal revelations began to surface. Cassie, observing the Hogwarts faculty during breakfast in the Great Hall as Headmaster Dippet once again espoused non-intervention with Muggles, felt a strong sense that both Professor Mirabel Garlick and Professor Silvanus Kettleburn were inclined toward intervention. Later, Cassie emptied Bernard’s pouch, finding not just the galleon stolen in Session 1, but two additional silver sickles. Driven by questions about her Niffler, Cassie composed a letter to renowned Magizoologist Newt Scamander, asking how to stop Bernard from stealing, bravely enclosing the troublesome galleon and entrusting it to a formidable postal owl. Her curiosity about Scamander led her to seek out his portrait, finding a newly mounted, lowly framed image containing a joyful, prominently coiffeured Highland Cow rather than the Magizoologist himself.
Meanwhile, Vi received a mysterious parcel via owl containing a blank exercise book and a powerful family heirloom: an Endless Vial of Moira's Reach and Ma Thorne's Messaging Book.

The three of you also continued your extracurricular magical development. Taking advantage of Professor Slughorn’s blatant favouritism for Vi as a distraction, Cassie managed to secretly whip up a Fungiface Potion, while Vi successfully brewed a standard Blemish Blitzer using materials gathered previously in the Forbidden Forest. Basil used the stolen galleon for meditation, triggering a strange sequence of visions: a Niffler stealing his father’s cufflink, followed by a sapphire from a dragon, and culminating in the creature stealing an entire chandelier from Gringotts—in every instance, no one seemed to notice or care.

The core D.I.A.D.E.M. training commenced in the Cold Plant Room, where the group learned the Arania Exumai spell. The unusual nature of the location was immediately apparent, as the scenes depicted in the 'greenhouse' windows had changed at Finch's direction. However, Finch was astonished when Vi unexpectedly managed to alter the view outside the windows by sheer force of will, demonstrating a level of control that surpassed his own experimental "settings" inherited from his older brother.

During training, Cassie fell unconscious, experiencing a Seeing Eye event of potent magnitude: she viewed the Hogwarts Valley as a map made of fragile glass, threatened by ancient power swelling beneath three points: deep beneath the castle, the road into Hogsmeade, and a small Muggle village miles away. Cassie sealed the ruptures threatening the Muggle village with power from her wand, causing the energy to explode violently from the other two magical points.
Cassie awoke to find her wand having somehow done the same. Coiled with newfound power it throbs even now in its wandom.

Basil experienced an equally commanding vision: starting with the familiar image of London ablaze, the scene shifted to an older, wooden London. A fire spread from a bakers shop toward St Paul's Cathedral, then shifted again to show red-coated soldiers armed with muskets and swords marching with powder on their faces.

Finally, Basil saw a young girl at Hogwarts, identified as Eleonora Humblewood (dec.), suffering a slow descent into isolation and madness while scrawling prophetic scenes. Basil followed his inner guidance deep into the bedrock beneath Hogwarts, finding Eleonora’s damp, silent crypt. The spirit of Eleonora Humblewood delivered a cryptic warning: "They did not listen... but it all came true. All of it. 'Seek not to understand the future. In front lies madness. Use your gifts to discern the true past. Behind lies truth and understanding'".

Session Events

Event:: The party have an opportunity to speak with Jackdaw Finch about Septimus Finch's disappearance 8 yrs ago in the Forbidden Forest. Most assumed he was lost to some beast but no remains were found and Jackdaw doesn't believe. Septimus was working with Armando Dippet, Horace Slughorn and others to "make the forest safer for wizardkind" (controlling paths, negotiating a centaur treaty etc). They even made some progress placating the goblins who wanted to mine the area for (ancient) magic

Event:: Jackdaw Finch announces the DIADEMs first field trip to the HVMC-run Hogwarts Valley Mine in the last week before half term. He has offered the DIADEM's help in establishing their initial operation, however they'll need to learn a few tricks first

Event:: Jackdaw Finch gives Basil a Messaging Scrap, which can carry short messages between it and one much like it in Jackdaw's possession

Event:: At breakfast one morning in The Great Hall, Cassie closely observes the Hogwarts Faculty as Armando Dippet espouses non-intervention with Muggles yet again. She strongly senses that both Mirabel Garlick and Silvanus Kettleburn are interventionist-inclined

Event:: After Cassie Weasley empties Bernard's pouch she finds not just the galleon stolen during Session 01 - Welcome to Hogwarts but also two silver sickles.

Event:: Basil meditates on Bernard's stolen galleon. He experiences a strange vision that moves from a niffler stealing his father's (non-monogrammed) cufflink, to a niffler stealing a sapphire from a dragon, to a niffler stealing an entire chandelier from the ceiling of Gringotts. In every case, no one noticed or seemed to care.

Event:: Cassie reveals to her friends that her family is moving to Ottery St Catchpole. She gives little more detail than that.

Event:: Needing guidance on Bernard's stolen galleon, Cassie writes a letter to Newt Scamander (Magizoologist). "My name is Cassie Weasley. I know you know nifflers and the ministry gave me one. Can I stop my niffler stealing things?". She encloses the galleon in question and sends it with the BMF Owl - one of Hogwart's hardiest.

Event:: Her interest in him piqued, Cassie seeks out a Newt Scamander (Portrait). Finding a relatively new and lowly mounted frame with his name in it, he himself was not present. However a Highland Cow with an extremely prominent coiffeuse was munching joyfully in his frame

Event:: Vi continues to practice her Potion making. Using the ingredients obtained in the forest (plus quills from Prof. Kettleburn) she makes a standard Blemish Blitzer and using Horace Slughorn's blatant favouritisim for Vi as a distraction, Cassie is able to whip up a Fungiface Potion on the sly. Vi tests her creations on the ever-willing Plop (Vi's toad)

Event:: Vi receives an owl parcel containing an empty bottle and an exercise book. These are an Endless Vial of Moira's Reach - a family heirloom recipe - and Ma Thorne's Messaging Book.

Event:: Cassie, Vi & Basil join Jackdaw Finch for their first formal DIADEMs lesson, learning Arania Exumai in the Cold Plant Room. Upon arriving, they find the scenes in the 'greenhouse' windows to have changed (at Jackdaw's behest) since they were last here

Event:: Cassie, Vi & Basil have an opportunity to question Jackdaw Finch. He is suprisingly forthcoming, having perhaps realised he cannot carry all of the weight he does alone. They learn that he has had a difficult start at Hogwarts, with the faculty resenting his Ministry of Magic associations. He is an Investigator in the Department of Mysteries, tasked with - amongst other things - attending to the Hall of Prophecy. The ministry sought volunteers to embed themselves at Hogwarts to prevent strong young wizards 'going dark'. Given his desire to investigate Septimus Finch's disappearance, he took the role.

Event:: Jackdaw Finch appears as startled as Cassie & Basil when Vi somehow manages to change the view outside the windows by sheer force of will. He had been experimenting with his older brother's 'settings', but had achieved nowhere near the level of control that Vi exhibits

Event:: During Arania Exumai training, Cassie falls unconscious, experiencing a Seeing Eye event of unusual potency. Floating above the Hogwarts Valley she sees the world as if it is a map made of the most fragile glass. Something ancient and powerful swells beneath the surface threatening to fracture the scene at multiple points: deep beneath Hogwarts, the road into Hogsmeade and Locharbor. Using some power from within her wand, Cassie seals the ruptures at the muggle village and the scene explodes from the other two points. An ominous portent for some as-yet-unsparked future event.

Event:: Basil experiences an extremely powerful vision, beginning with the familiar sight of London ablaze in the imminent future, but then merging into something else. Something older. The scene shifts to a smaller, olden more wooden London. A fire begins to spread from an ordinary Bakers Shop across the entire city towards the towering presence of St Paul's Cathedral. The scene shifts again, this time to red-coated soldiers armed with muskets and swords marching with powder on their faces and fear in their eyes. The vision then shifts into a more... intimate... portayal of whatever this is

Event:: Basil sees a young girl standing in the halls at Hogwarts. This is Eleonora Humblewood (dec.), both blessed and cursed with gifts like Basil's. He sees her scrawling scenes like those he himself witnessed earlier in this vision and he witnesses a slow descent into isolation and some might say madness.

Event:: Basil in his dreamlike state descends through the very bedrock beneath Hogwarts, arriving in a small, forgotten stone chamber deep beneath the castle foundations. It is a simple crypt, damp and silent. The name carved into the stone sarcophagus is Eleonora Humblewood. Beneath it, an epitaph reads: Cursed with Dreamsight, Haunted by all, Blessed with Truth. Her visions burned bright, though the world saw only shadow.

Event:: Basil encounters the spirit of Eleonora Humblewood (dec.). In a voice full of ancient sorrow she tells him: _"They did not listen... but it all came true. All of it. "Seek not to understand the future. In front lies madness. Use your gifts to discern the true past. Behind lies truth and understanding"