Twilight

Bella Swan baru saja pindah dari Phoenix, Arizona yang mayoritas bercuaca panas ke Forks, Washington yang mayoritas cuacanya hujan untuk tinggal bersama ayahnya, Charlie, setelah ibunya, Renée, menikah dan tinggal bersama suami barunya, Phil, seorang pemain bisbol. Setelah pindah ke Forks, Bella akhirnya tertarik pada seorang pemuda misterius yang tampan, yang merupakan teman sekelasnya di pelajaran Biologi, Edward Cullen, yang ternyata merupakan seorang vampir vegetarian (vampir yang meminum darah hewan, bukan manusia). Edward mempunyai kemampuan seperti halnya vampir yang lain (kuat, cepat, apabila terkena matahari langsung maka tubuhnya berkilauan dan pada saat tertentu matanya dapat berubah warna)selain itu edward juga mempunyai sebuah bakat untuk dapat membaca pikiran orang lain. Pada awalnya, Edward berusaha menjauhi Bella karena Edward selalu merasa tergoda jika menghirup aroma darah Bella. Akan tetapi lama kelamaan akhirnya Edward dapat mengatasi masalah tersebut dan kemudian mereka pun jatuh cinta satu sama lain, yang membuat sekolah membicarakan mereka. Suatu ketika, Bella diajak untuk melihat keluarga Cullen bermain bisbol. Tanpa disangka, tiba-tiba datanglah sekelompok vampir nomaden yang terdiri dari James (vampir dengan bakat melacak), Victoria (vampir dengan insting melarikan diri yang luar biasa hebat dan merupakan pasangan dari James), serta Lauren. Begitu bertemu dengan Bella, James sudah mulai mengincar darah Bella. Semua anggota keluarga Cullen bersatu untuk menyelamatkan Bella. Bella melarikan diri ke Phoenix, Arizona bersama Alice (vampir dengan bakat melihat masa depan) dan Jasper (vampir dengan bakat mengendalikan perasaan di sekitarnya dan merupakan pasangan dari Alice). Saat kabur ke Phoenix, Bella dijebak oleh James. Untungnya Edward dan keluarganya segera menyadari hilangnya Bella dan segera bergegas untuk pergi menyelamatkan Bella. Edward tiba tepat pada waktunya dan berhasil menyelamatkan Bella, setelah itu mereka segera kembali ke Forks dan mengikuti acara prom yang diselenggrakan oleh sekolah mereka.

New Moon

Edward dan keluarganya meninggalkan Forks karena Edward percaya bahwa mereka dapat menempatkan Bella dalam bahaya. Bella jatuh dalam depresi berat, sampai akhirnya ia menemukan sahabat baru yang merupakan seorang werewolf, Jacob Black. Jacob dan werewolf lain dari sukunya harus melindungi Bella dari Victoria, vampir yang berusaha membalas dendam akibat kematian pasangannya, James, dengan berusaha membunuh Bella, yang merupakan pasangan Edward Cullen yang telah membunuh pasangannya. Akibat suatu kesalah pahaman, Edward menyangka Bella sudah meninggal karena bunuh diri. Edward pun memutuskan untuk menyusul Bella dengan meminta sekeluarga vampir senior di Volterra, Italy, tapi kemudian dihentikan oleh Bella dan Alice yang menyusul Edward ke Volterra, Italy. Mereka bertemu dengan Klan Volturi dan mereka segara dibebaskan untuk pergi asalkan Bella harus menjadi vampir suatu saat nanti. Bella dan Edward bertemu kembali, dan Keluarga Cullen kembali ke Forks.

Eclipse

Sang vampir Victoria telah membuat suatu pasukan "vampir baru" untuk melawan Keluarga Cullen dan membunuh Bella. Sementara itu, Bella harus memilih antara hubungannya dengan Edward atau persahabatannya dengan Jacob. Keluarga vampir Edward dan Geng werewolf Jacob bekerja sama dan sukses membasmi Victoria beserta pasukkannya. Akhirnya, Bella memilih Edward dibandingkan Jacob. Jacob pun marah mengetahui pilihan Bella yang memutuskan untuk menjadi vampir. Namun akhirnya ia merelakan hubungan Edward dengan Bella. Jacob dan yang lainnya tidak diketahui lanjutannya lagi.

Breaking Dawn

Bella dan Edward menikah, tapi bulan madu mereka terpotong setelah Bella mengetahui bahwa dirinya hamil. Kehamilannya berjalan amat cepat dan membuat Bella menjadi lemah. Ia hampir meninggal saat melahirkan putrinya yang setengah manusia dan setengah vampir, Renesmee, tetapi Edward menyuntikkan Bella dengan racunnya agar tetap hidup dan berubah menjadi vampir. Seorang vampir dari klan lain melihat Renesmee dan menyangkanya sebagai "immortal child"--anak yang telah digigit oleh vampir, dimana melawan pereturan vampir, kemudian ia menginformasikannya kepada Klan Volturi. Keluarga Cullen mengumpulkan vampir-vampir yang dapat menjadi saksi bahwa Reneesme bukan "immortal child". Keluarga Cullen dan para saksi mata berhasil meyakinkan para Volturi bahwa Renesmee bukan merupakan ancaman, dan mereka hidup tenteram.

wikipedia.com

Soon, Harry Potter invisibility cloak

Your dream of possessing a Harry Potter invisibility cloak could be just months away, at least that’s what a British

Daniel Radcliffe (Reuters photo)More Pics

scientist claims.

Sir John Pendry, who pioneered the concept, believes that the cloak that can make an object disappear could be unveiled within next six months. “The first man-made cloak will be more like an invisibility "carpet", the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Pendry as saying.

As a tiny object is placed underneath it, it will seemingly disappear because the bump the object makes will be hidden from view with an artificial mirage. Pendry said that the new development would also prove the potential of metamaterials that have an unusual property to interact with light and electronic waves.

These materials could be, in future, used for developing barriers to prevent waves damaging the shore, acoustic cloaks to reduce noise, stealth systems for the military, and faster telecommunications. They can be designed to hide things by bending radiation around an object as if it were not there, "like water flowing around a stone", said Professor Pendry.

Pendry had discussed about the new materials in a lecture in the US, backing it with the example of Harry Potter. "I said one of the interesting things they could do is hide things," said Pendry.

The example prompted David Smith of Duke University to build an invisibility cloak. "They went back and built the darn thing," Pendry added. In 2006, he unveiled the first cloak, which steered radiation around a copper cylinder, making it invisible to microwave detection. "I am optimistic work in progress will produce an optical cloak in the next six months," said Pendry.

Hermione to take on muggles at Cambridge

Emma Watson plays red-haired Hermione Granger

• Harry Potter homepage

In the Harry Potter series Hermione Granger is one of the star pupils of Hogwarts, the school for young wizards.

Now the girl who plays red-haired Hermione, Emma Watson, intends to be similarly studious in the real world of the muggles.

The 17-year-old actress plans to turn her back on stardom and a blossoming film career to study philosophy at Cambridge University.

She has played Hermione in all the Harry Potter films.

She is reported to have earned £2 million from the screen versions of the author JK Rowling's books.

However, she still wants to be a student at the world-famous university.

Watson revealed her plan to switch from the screen to academia during an interview with Tatler editor Geordie Greig. "Her next plan is to study philosophy at Cambridge," he said.

Watson is currently sitting AS levels in art history, geography and English literature. She got eight A* grades and two A grades at GCSE.

However, she will have to juggle her studies with the filming of the sixth instalment, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Harry Potter's Quidditch comes to Welsh school

Harry Potter's favourite sport of Quidditch has become a reality for pupils at a secondary school after they devised their own "muggle" version of the game.

Similar variations were a hit in American schools Photo: GETTY

The sport - one of the most famous aspects of JK Rowling's bestselling stories - is the most popular game in the wizarding community, played by two teams mounted on broomsticks.

But Ferndale Comprehensive School in Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, has adapted the game for the non-magical "muggle" community after similar variations were a hit in American schools.

Muggle quidditch is not exactly the same as the wizarding version; as well as the absence of broomsticks and bewitched balls there is no "seeker," the position played by Harry Potter himself.

But the confines of reality have still enabled the school to keep most of the fictional sport's rules, ending up with a cross between dodgeball and handball.

Attacking "chasers" attempt to put the "quaffle," or ball, past the goalkeeper whilst the opposing team's "beaters" try to hit them with different balls called "bludgers."

Keiron Port, a Year Seven pupil at Ferndale Comprehensive School, said: "Quidditch is a good fun game, it is fast and has lots of exciting moments. My favourite position has got to be the chaser, I like it because you get to score most of your team's goals."

The development of Quidditch at the school is part of the 5x60 scheme, a Welsh Assembly Government initiative aimed at getting children active with new and different sports.

Ferndale Comprehensive School became the first school in Wales to bring in Quidditch as part of the 5x60 programme when PE teacher James Vale, who runs the scheme at the school, drew up his own rules based on American versions of the game.

He said: "When playing, standing still is not an option as doing so will certainly catch the eye of a beater and a bludger will be heading your way.

"This means that players are always on the go unlike in other sports where players are sometimes not really involved in the game.

"As well as improving general fitness levels the game also improves hand eye co-ordination, concentration, awareness and promotes team work. The year seven pupils have picked up the rules really quickly and have even thought of some changes to improve the game."

The 5x60 scheme, launched in October 2006 at a cost of £7.6 million, is already under way in 98% of secondary schools across Wales and is expected to encompass all schools in the country by the end of the financial year.

The 5x60 scheme aims to make sure all secondary school pupils do at least an hour of sport and exercise five times a week.

Each school appoints a 5x60 officer who is responsible for offering pupils a range of activities - not just traditional sports - and then organising the ones the children most want to take up.