Posts About How Hard Basic Math

[ihaveanappforthat]

[Someone has been spending a lot of his free time on one of the Slytherin common room sofas, keeping to himself and a couple of texts on Arithmancy. If it wasn't obvious by the dark circles under his eyes, he had not been sleeping enough and probably spending far too much time writing papers, testing theories and reading.]

I've taken notice to the startling reality that hardly anyone understands anything about Arithmancy other than it being a class, and those that do have a plethora of misconceptions about the study.

Bridget Wenlock first discovered the magical properties of seven - many might know how seven is generally a rather lucky number. Stir a potion seven times do a little jig and you've got one lucky batch of whatever you're making - that was me being facetious, I hardly advise dancing whilst making potions. That doesn't alter the fact that the number seven is used in potion making and even in other fields of magic aside from Arithmancy and Potions.



That being said, I am going to dispel a few of those misconceptions about Arithmancy:

First and foremost -- Divination and Arithmancy are not the same.

Divination is the field of magic that uses methods of divining the future or gathering insights into future events via the use of various rituals and tools.

Arithmancy is the field of magic that utilizes the magical properties of numbers, including predicting the future with numbers and numerology.

So someone may enjoy Divination and dislike Arithmancy, or the total opposite (I am in this statistic). As I state they are different -- I could spend paragraphs comparing apples and oranges but really no one wants that. ☺

We're now onto the next fallacy; lucky numbers, sounds easy enough. How wrong and boring. In Arithmancy the numbers used are single digit numbers: one to nine. Everything must always be simplified to single digits so it's not just lucky numbers that you see or use in your life over the years.

If your lucky number is, say fourteen. In Arithmancy your lucky number would be five;
14
1+4 = 5

No two digit numbers, you must always add.

14 = ☹

1+4 = 5


Now, there isn't just one chart you can use to assign number to letters; there are two. Yes, I said two.

There is the Agrippan Method (Also known as the Pythagorian Method) which is believed to be discovered by Cornelius Agrippa, a german wizard and philosopher. There are some texts on him in the library, they're quite interesting if you ever are bored! He divided the Latin alphabet and gave each number a value from one to nine.




The second method is Chaldean Method. Instead of being based off of Latin and the other Romance Languages, it is based off Arabic languages. It also does not assign the value nine to any letter of the alphabet. It is, however, the same in that it you gather the sum of values and then that sum is reduced for a final number.




This is where things are going to get a bit biased, please forgive me in advance.

Many will say that the future is unchangeable, that it is already predetermined. The future is ever changing, quite a few would disagree with me, say that it is a preset destination that everyone will come to - but those people think inside the box. The future is what you make of it. As Rene Descartes said -- Mind over matter - cogito ergo sum: I think, therefore I am. That is how I look at the future, it exists however we make it to.

I see Arithmancy as a fluid field of magic, so many factors and possibilities affecting it.

Onto my theory for the matter:

As I mentioned earlier, it is a mix of science and magic.

A well known law in physics is Newton's Third Law, wherein he states that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." This of course was related to gravity but in all numbers there seems to be truth to this. If seven is an extremely magical and lucky number there must be an opposite. Theoretically this must be true if we look at Newton's laws and apply them to mathematics.

I'm not generally a pessimist, but I cannot be the only one raising an eyebrow at all the positivity in Arithmancy.

Comments

[ihaveanappforthat]

[GRUMP GRUMP GRUMP.]

I never was pouting. So that isn't a problem.

[He is just going to glare at every person that walks into and out of the common room until his glare lands on the right person.]

[rule_britannia]

[And when it does, that person is utterly unaffected by it, simply giving a genial smile and crossing the room to his friend.]

Alright, out with it.

[ihaveanappforthat]

[He stares for a moment before grabbing one of his books and looking at it instead.]

It might be thirteen. I can't be sure until I research more.

[rule_britannia]

James.

[He'll have that book, thanks.]

You know that thing you do when you force me to worry about you? You're doing it.

[ihaveanappforthat]

[Oh, naw gurl, you did not just take his book. He's just going to glare until he gets it back.]

I was using that.

Nevermind - read it, learn something.

[He grabs another book next to him on the sofa and flips it open.]

I'm not forcing you to do anything.

[rule_britannia]

[He glances over the title of the book, and gives an idle shrug.]

Unfortunately - and that's from your perspective, not mine - my friendship with you comes with a certain obligation to worry about you when you're acting out of sorts. I've known you for long enough to notice when you're out of sorts.

And I'm sure that you know that the only way to be rid of me is to tell me what prompted you into that sudden lecture.

[ihaveanappforthat]

I'm busy.

[He nods to his own book before looking back at it.]

I don't like sharing either, and you know that.

[rule_britannia]

Tch, yes, I'm well aware of that. In all senses of the word.

[He sets the book down, and drops himself into a nearby chair. Not too close to be intrusive, but not too far that he's not providing company. Arthur summons a book over to himself, curls his legs up under him, and reads.]

[ihaveanappforthat]

Mhm.

[There is a long silence amongst them as they both read, then as if something he's read sets him off, the book Moriarty was reading is sent hurdling across the room, then the books next to him are shoved away, mostly onto the floor.]

What do you want?!

[It's growled at Arthur. He's almost glad there's no one else in the common room with them at the moment.]

You are distracting me. You can see well with your own eyes I am fine.

[rule_britannia]

.. Jim, please, there was no need for that.

[One eyebrow goes up briefly.]

How stupid do you think I-- No, don't answer that, I know you'll tell me.

[He purses his lips together for a moment, then lifts one hand.]

Different question. With everything I know of you and your little quirks and habits, how exactly do you expect me to believe that you're fine? I know you better than you think and probably better than you'd like.

[ihaveanappforthat]

[He listens to him, staying almost deathly silent, watching and taking the words in,]

I got rejected. I asked someone to the ball and they rejected me. It's not a lie, there, I told you what could possibly be bothering me, but isn't because at the moment you are bothering me!

I am trying to prove this theory and you are distracting me.

[He messes up his hair with his hands and tugs at it for a moment.]

[rule_britannia]

I'm happy to provide service by means of being a distraction, then.

[He smiles crookedly.]

[ihaveanappforthat]

[Dark eyes watch him, anger still in them but there was a thin veil of inquisition and calculation pulled taught over the anger.]

I'm not laughing.

[rule_britannia]

Nor am I, unless I did so without noticing.

[He cocks his head slightly to one side.]

Who did you ask?

[ihaveanappforthat]

[He shifts to turn so he's sitting with his back to Arthur, instead of against the couch.]

Busy is an adjective that means having a great deal to do.

[rule_britannia]

Ah, of course.

[But he's not going to go anywhere.]

[ihaveanappforthat]

[SUUUUULK.]

Why aren't you going away?

[rule_britannia]

If you actually wanted me to go away, you'd be throwing things at me.

[ihaveanappforthat]

The urge is still there, do not tempt me.

[There's a long silence before he makes some sort of frustrated noise.]

Distract me.

[Despite it being worded like a demand, it's imploring in nature.]

[rule_britannia]

[He shifts a bit in his seat, and watches Jim with something of a calculating expression for a few moments. Moriarty is not an easy boy to distract, but he can try.]

Hmn. Alright.

[Arthur gets to his feet, passing by Jim and tapping his shoulder.]

Come on, we're going for a walk. It'll distract you, clear your head and you can tell me all about your fascinating number theories.

[ihaveanappforthat]

[Jim watches him, once again utterly silent - he always has been able to be unnaturally quiet, it often has the ability to unnerve someone unaccustomed to it.

Then the invitation is made. Ugh - disappointing, predictable - very boring.]

Offer revoked. I do not want to deal with you trying to pry information out of me whilst under the false pretense of learning about my fascinating number theories.

[Sure is more sulking.]

[rule_britannia]

[Arthur rolls his eyes, then leans over the back of the sofa, draping his arms over the other boy's shoulders.]

Come on, now.

[He smiles slightly.]

I know bloody well I'm not going to get any information out of you, not if you don't want to give it to me, and I'll thank you to have a bit more faith in me, old chap.

[He straightens a bit, but remains leaning on the back of the sofa.]

Half an hour, Jim. What harm can it do?

[ihaveanappforthat]

[An odd noise reverberates in his throat, too quiet for the other boy to discern if it was a growl or a hum.]

Assuming you'd try was giving you faith.

[The raven haired boy then arches his back slightly and pushes himself up the back of the couch - the action almost snakelike. Arms latch around the back of Arthur's neck to pull him down, dangerously close. He's getting mean Arthur and he's probably got his face too close for comfort. The smell of mint and tea lingering on his breath.]

There are plenty of poisons that can immobolize the body and then kill it in and under thirty minutes. Plenty of venoms, toxins -- a puncture wound to the stomach would kill anyone in under that time. A angled slice to the femoral artery can kill you in under five minutes. A slit throat would only take four.

[There's something darkly interested in his eyes, he wants a reaction.]

[rule_britannia]

Hmn, I suppose you've a point there.

[The only sign that Arthur is feeling any discomfort is a slight tensing across his shoulders as he's pulled forwards, but that could just as easily have been to stop himself from pitching over the back of the couch. He keeps his eyes on Jim's while he talks, his expression carefully impassive.]

... How charming.

[His shoulders relax then, and he shifts to ruffle his fingers over Moriarty's hair.]

I'll be sure to store that away with the rest of the general knowledge that I might just use one day. Would you mind letting go of my neck? This is a little uncomfortable.

[ihaveanappforthat]

[He releases him as he was requested, a ghost of a smile at the corner of his lips as he slides back down to sit. He isn't sure if he takes the reaction from the other boy as condescending or as endearment. Either way it's impressive to him somehow.]

Hm, yes - alright. Fair enough.

[Then there's that dreadful silence as he stares ahead for a long moment.]