Adrien got up from his spot on the couch and strode to the gift table, looking at the boxes. "Thank you, ," he said, picking one up and running his fingers over the top. He grabbed a piece of parchment and returned to his seat. He sat with the end of his quill on his lips before finally putting ink to paper.

1. Get better at Arithmancy 2. Make new friends 3. Learn as much as possible

Adrien neatly wrote a few more ideas before looking around the common room As he heard about the tradition from , he shot her a grin, "That sounds wicked! It'd be so cool to have a tradition like that. We never have any since my parents are hardly ever home to do anything."

( )

"I might be able to help see your future better. I am sure we can find all we need around!" Gaia giggled like she knew a secret and wasn't willing to share it just yet. "We can toss the parchment with the old into the fire place. Then we can keep the keepsake boxes to ourselves. If anyone needs help and support with their goals we have each other!"

"Oh that's right! We have a seer among us. How fantastic!" Ethel gave a jump and clapped her hands together twice. "So we can do the..er..." Her tongue stumbled on the proper word for the thing so she blurted out "waxy thingie." Then she held up her box and parchment. "I'm ready to burn 'em up when you guys are."

( ) "I'm ready to burn as well!" Adrien waved his parchment with a flourish. He placed it on top of his box to wait for the others.

"Then we can definitely do the wax thing, I'm all for these new traditions."

Beth placed small bowls filled with cold water on an empty table. "We can pour the wax into these bowls."

After she finished setting up, she walked to the fireplace.

"I'm ready!" Beth said, holding the piece of parchment in her hand.

( )

( ) "I am ready as well!" Gaia skipped to the fireplace with her wand out. "We can always make them sparkle!" Gaia mutter the incantation to enchant the fire. Feeling satisfied she said to the others "Once you throw your old papers in it will sparkle in a shape that means something to you." Gaia folded her parchment and threw it in. Sitting back the fire crackled for a second and an owl popped up in sparkles and then exploded making a small firework show inside the fire place. "That was beautiful! How is next?!" Gaia sat back closer to the chairs on the floor.

Aderyn finished scribbling down her resolutions and rolled up her parchment, enchanting a small ribbon into place around the middle of the roll. Stepping over to the fireplace to stand next to she smiled, holding up the roll.

"My turn!"

She tossed her parchment into the flames, watching as the edges curled and it was consumed by the fire. As it burned away to ash, a small, glittering black bear sprang forth from the ashes, rearing up onto its back legs with a small roar before disappearing in a shower of pink and purple sparks.

Turning away from the fire, she walked over to the table where Beth () had gathered some supplies. Looking down at the bowl of water, she dipped a finger into it experimentally, shaking the droplets off as she pulled her hand away.

"Do you need any help with the wax?"

Adrien watched as the incantation cast washed over the flames, smiling as he could see little sparkles coming off the tips of the fire. After seeing Aderyn's () bear and Gaia's owl burst into fireworks he stood up and made his way to the fireplace, his parchment folded in his hand. Stepping back as he tossed it in, a small coyote leapt from the flames as the parchment smoldered and began chasing it's tail, glittering as it erupted into green and gold sparks. "Whoa..." Adrien's eyes lit up at the magical display, a small grin plastered on his face.

"I can totally relate with that," she laughed with Ethel. "Procrastination is such a hard thing to beat." She jotted down some extra notes to burn and folded them up. Her eyes lit as Adrien's coyote and Aderyn's bear magically appeared in the flames. She giggled at Gaia's owl, thinking that was the perfect creature for her.

"Oh, this is so neat," she exclaimed as she walked toward the fire. She threw the "old" list into it and watched it cough out a pair of durable boots that danced around the walls before racing back into the hearth.

She grew excited as she watched Beth set a candle next to the bowl of water. She had never seen a true seer at work (she hardly counted Professor Trewlawney) and was anxious to see how Gaia would interpret the wax.

"This is amazing!" Ethel watched, grinning, as the fireplace spat out a procession of animals and...boots? Excellent! When it was her turn she hurled her parchment into the fire with glee. The fire enveloped the slip of paper and sputtered. Then a sparkling red dragon erupted from the coals, took a wheeling lap of the room in the air above their heads, and politely snuffed itself out. "Hooray! What fun!"

Beth threw her old list into the fire. An eagle appeared as the piece of parchment disintegrated.

She walked back up to the table and placed a big spoon next to the candle.

Beth turned to Aderyn () and asked, "Can you grab the wax cubes from my bag?"

"We're almost ready to do the Bleigießen. Who wants to light up the candle?"

"Those were amazing demonstrations of releasing the old!" beaming at her friends Gaia took a tray from the food table and spread hot chocolate around. "If anyone is interested in their future just tell me what you see in your bowl and I will tell you what I see" Gaia hasn't really told anyone about her abilities. It is a part of her family that has been long celebrated but she was always unsure if she would live up to her family name. Ethel being her best friend of course knew her secret, but still she was nervous about what she would see. Gaia sat crossed legged on the floor creating a space for people to sit in front of her.

( )

Aderyn obliged Beth (), stooping to pull the aforementioned wax cubes out of the other girl's bag. She set them on the table next to the setup and stepped forward as Beth asked for someone to help light the candle. She thought about doing it the magical way, but she settled on using the pack of matches that was on the table instead. Reaching for it, she easily struck a match and held it to the candlewick, letting it catch fire.

"Looks like we're almost ready to start!"

"Who would like to go first?" Beth asked.

Aderyn glanced around, making sure no one else was volunteering first, and then stepped forward with a smile.

"I'll try! Just tell me what to do!"

"First you place one of the wax cubes on the spoon. Then you hold the spoon over the flame of the candle and until it completely melts. After it melts you have to quickly pour it in one of the bowls of water before it solidifies," Beth said eagerly.

()

Aderyn nodded in understanding and did just as Beth () had instructed. She picked up a cube of honey colored wax and placed it on a spoon, holding it close enough to the flame to melt quickly, but not so close that the wax would burn. It didn't take long for the wax to melt and once it had, she quickly moved her hand and tipped the wax into a bowl, watching it instantly solidify into a mass as it hit the cold water. She glanced up at Beth eagerly, wondering what the wax held for her.

"That was amazing!" Ethel gave Gaia () a high five and a grin. "The shape my paper took was perfect! Makes me miss home a little bit but I loved it! Now onto the divination. Professor Trelawney would be so proud of us!"

Ethel hung back a little when the wax melting fun begin: she always hated going first and was glad to let Aderyn() do the honors. She listened carefully while Beth () explained the process and then leaned forward, watching carefully to see how it was done so she would be ready when it was her turn.

"Hmm....I'm really bad at seeing the shape. What do you think it is?" Beth asked the others.

Aderyn peered over the lip of the bowl as Beth () asked for opinions on the wax figure therein. She pursed her lips, considering the image.

"It kind of looks like a plant of some sort; I can see leaves and vines."