Other People's  Business

Author's Note: This is my prediction piece to I The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon.  Included is a scene I have written that I believe would fit well into the book's resolution.   

After walking outside to greet his friend (the neighbors dog) Wellington,  Christopher was spotted stroking dead Wellington's bloody head.  Mrs. Shears, Wellington's owner called the police and screamed repeatedly at Christopher, who is autistic and didn't enjoy this.  After being released from jail, Christopher makes it his goal to figure out who did kill Wellington and why.

 I believe that Mrs. Shears killed her own dog.  I think this because the main characters shows evidence that her shock after finding out that her dog had died, couldn't have been because of surprise.  Also, when Christopher went to investigate who did kill the dog, Mrs. Shears was not open to talk about it, yet she didn't feel sad.   If Mrs. Shears did not kill her dog, because she is not showing proper emotions,  I am positive she knows who did.  The books mode of literature from my perspective so far is a comedy. 

I walked into the shed of Mrs. Shears, father had told me not to 8 times in the past week and I had been relying on white lies to keep me out of trouble.  It was very spacious in here. I did not like spacious, it reminded me of a show I watched with Mother once; the man walked into a spacious room with all the lights off, and martial arts fighters jumped out from all directions.  I knew this wasn't going to happen here, the worst thing that could happen would be that Mrs. Shears would find me and call the police again. I would not like this.  While looking around and dreaming about the possible uses of all the machinery in here, I spotted the fork.  The fork that was used to kill Wellington was in Mrs. Shears shed.  I ran to the police.  I had solved the crime, Mother would have been so proud.

 

Time

Author's Note: I miss poetry so I decided to write a poem. I wrote it on a day where I was very stressed and I hope anyone who reads this can relate.

Tomorrow's already here
Yesterday isn't yet gone
Today has barely started
When it slowly draws to an end
Without a goal to look forward to
Time flies hopelessly
Does it stop-
to let you catch up
to let you go back
to where you messed up
Time doesn't stop
and tomorrow is nearing
Yesterday will forever be a memory
So keep track of today
and don't let it pass you
Think of a goal
to look forward to meeting
Then YOU control time
Deal with it wisely

Hey everyone! I'm Bucky. I like to eat everything in my house. I like to wake my owner up at 2 AM and 6 AM and I am only satisfied when I am covered in dirt.

----------->

On Saturday, March 20, a red mini van arrived at my house. When I walked outside I tried my hardest to look professional, but I couldn't contain my excitement. Like a child standing over another child opening a birthday present, I was more then happy to help the man open the car door. I looked into the cluttered van to see two cages and four dogs. The older dogs were on the seat above and the puppies were in cages on the floor. The black one, slamming itself against the cage walls, was Bratchet. The yellow one, asleep on the hard ground, was mine. His name was Bucky.

Occupaws is a guide dog training association stationed in Wisconsin. Every year they distribute two or three litters of puppies to families willing to train them. To train a guide dog puppy you need to attend two meetings a month to learn commands and practice them, and you need to be willing to commit and work with your dog on your own everyday. First, you need to fill out an application. Then you get assigned a puppy who will go through a long process to see if it is healthy. Next, an Occupaws employee comes to your house to see if you, your house, and your family are fit for the job of training a puppy. Finally, you receive your puppy and your guide dog training manual filled with rules and commands that would blow your mind. You keep the puppy for a year, and return it fully trained. Finally the puppy is shipped off to California to harness train, and then given to its new owner. It is a long and hard process and it is a HUGE commitment--I've learned that and I'm only on day 3-- which is why of about 40 puppies, only 10 go on to become guide dogs.

So far, Bucky knows the command "come" and can hold his bladder for about 15 minutes. We are making progress, but we will still have a few sleepless nights here and there. Our first obedience class is tonight and I am desperately waiting to be around people who feel my pain. It will be a long journey, and a hard day when I give him up. Inside I have to remember that someone actually needs this mess of a dog, and its my job to provide it for them, in perfect condition. I also have to keep reminding myself that there are only about 362 days left (yes, I am counting).

Budget Cuts a.k.a Scott Walker

Author's Note: This is my response to Ms. Colque's seminar on Thursday. It states my opinion on what Scott Walker is doing with our state's money. Please comment your opinon- I won't be offended if it differs from mine.

Many people have started their responses with "I don't know what to think about Scott Walker passing the view" or stating their two seperate opinions. I think that people might have certain views in their minds, or have been influenced by their parents, but they keep it hidden because they don't want to offend anyone or they are embarassed about their opinions. I say go for it- the issue that Scott Walker doesn't realize he's making has caught people's attention all around the world. Although it doesn't really affect them or their lives, they are concerned about us. If the president stops his work for some Wisconsinite's then I think this is something that people should show how much they care about.

Teachers, firefighters, any state workers already aren't getting paid as much as state senators but now their salaries could be cut up to 6%. The bill also gets rid of stateworkers rights to form unions. In Academy right now we learn to collaborate and work as a community. Unions are similar to communities, people all believing in the same thing, trying to get what's best for all of the people in them. Scott Walker may realize it, and he may not, but he is taking away more then just the stateworkers rights. He is taking away skills and strategies we have been using our etire lives. Strength in numbers, communication, equal rights. These are some of our skills that will be weakened without unions. While my opinion is so strong on one side it makes it hard to see any other views.

Global Warming Ice Age and Other Things Meant to Destroy Our World

Author's Note: My main focus in this short story was to inform those who don't already know the world's fate, who think they will live forever, who don't plan for these kind of things without being prompted. Because this piece was written simply to get my thoughts out, please look for my voice and how I express my opinion and my conclusion which usually isn't very strong but in this piece it is meant to leave the reader thinking.

What is our world becoming? One of the world's most beautiful creatures is soon to be extinct. We know lots of animals are endangered because of illegal poaching and overpopulation of other species, but extinct is a word that reminds us of the ice age. The Ice Age froze out a number of wonderful creatures, and took place a few billion years ago; but today, we can see our future hurdling toward us, faster than we can control. The opposite age of the Ice Age is coming. The name we give it, is global warming.

Now, we already know that our generations grandchildren will not see a polar bear, and it looks like the world has given up hope. And although the animals need our concern, the people matter too. Great discoveries have been made in our history in places we might lose. People sliding through the ice bergs, stalking penguins, measuring land. Tough journeys filled with hunger, frostbite, amputation. However, we have learned that people who go through hard times, always come back with great stories. Maybe even a scientific breakthrough or two. Sadly, with our ice bergs heating themselves up, we won't be able to travel up to the north pole. Canada will be and adventure.

Now you may be worried about Canada melting, and then North America and continuing down the line, but I predict that this will not happen. I predict that global warming won't be our only issue considering our world only has 4 billion years left. Yes, unless we can find another star that burns as bright as the sun, we have no hope. Three billion and six million years from now we will not be worried about our planet heating up so much that we melt ourselves to the ground, but instead we will worry about freezing our selves to our beds at night. Our sun will grow dim, as all stars must, and then once it explodes, we will die.

So what we really have to stress over is the present moment, worry about our friends and family, help stop global warming in the 3 billion years we have left. Global warming has and will do lots to us today, but that is nothing compared to what will happen if we don't stop it. It will bother us when we have bigger things to worry about.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Author's Note: I have just finished reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. My favorite chapter was when Tom and Becky were trapped in the cave, and this was from Tom's point of view, so I decided to look at the story from Becky's point of view.

I never thought we'd get trapped. I was almost certain he knew the way. Tom had always been brave through my eyes, and wherever I went, as long as he was with me, I felt safe. This is where I thought wrong.

The night so far had been everything I'd dreamed it would be. Tom took me on a picnic, and we left the others by the boat. I was sure none of it was real, I was sure it was some sort of fantasy. Then, he showed me a path, and I followed, even though my skirt was definitly not fit for this sort of journey. Tom slid through a hole in the big rock wall and then helped me through it. The trouble began somewhere close to here.

We entered the cave, the large and powerful cave. It ALMOST felt romantic until the bats swarmed in around us. Tom grabbed my hand and took me running with him. We ran faster and faster, reaching maximum speed when one of the bats knocked out the flame in my candle. By the time we escaped the bats, we had no idea where we were and I was past worried. A quick thought popped into my mind, a thought that I felt I needed to share. I said, "Why, I didn't notice, but it seems ever so long since we've seen any of the others."

"Come to think, Becky, we are away down below them-and I don't know how far away north, or south, or east, or which ever it is. We couldn't hear them here."

I stared aghast at the walls which seemed to be closing in on us. I was definitely scared." Can you find the way, Tom? It's all mixed-up crookedness to me."

"I reckon I could find it-but then the bats. If they put out both of our lights it will be an awful fix. Let's try not to go through there." He pointed to the large corridor we had just exited.

We wandered in circles for a while. Miserable, never-ending circles. Tom would find a new room of the cave every few minutes, and I would watch his face looking for an expression to cheer me up. By this point I was cold, tired, and hungry. Tom swore. When I looked up at him, he told me he had forgot to mark the places we'd been. Now, I was just about done, I wanted myself out of this cave, a full belly, and my friends again. I laid myself down on the disgusting ground, and cried.

Tom looked down at me. He didn't know what to do with me, and eventually guilt got the best of him. He started blaming and abusing himself. It got terrible, he was practically beating himself. After a few minutes, I finally came to my senses. I stood up and sat next to him, I told him I would follow him wherever he might lead if only he would not talk like that anymore. For he was no more to blame then me.

After some time of wandering aimlessly, in no direction at all, I fell to the ground. Tom sat down net to me and placed his candle in the center of us.

I said,"Tom, I'm hungry!"

He took something out of his pocket and said, "Remember this?"

Of course I did! It was our wedding cake from the picnic we'd had earlier. "It's hardly any but I am so glad you have it."

He divided it and I gobbled mine down, while he took small bites. He mumbled something about someone coming for us soon, and it took all the hope I had left to believe that.

Hours later, Tom decided to wait it out. I lay down to die and slowly fell asleep. Tom went out exploring but promised to come back. A few minutes, maybe hours later, Tom came back to me screaming. He dragged me up and said he'd heard someone. He showed me a platform that led to outside the cave. He called it his "jumping off place" he jumped off and waited to catch me.

A few days later, Tom visited me at my house. I was under the care of my Mother, who had been extremely worried. Tom's aunt had also been worried sick, but not as much as my own Mother. When we were rescued, we didn't shed a tear, we were overjoyed to be found but we didn't show it. We were heroes now. All the other children worshiped us. They asked if they could come into the cave with us next time. I shook my head and held back the fear. Tom and I walked the streets together, we were safe, we were living, and we were famous.

View Sample Photo Books Create your own Photo Book

Author's Note: This is a Mixbook of one of the books I've read called And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. I recommend it to you if you like murder mysteries. This project may not give you a very good summary of the book, but it is hard to explain and even I don't know all of its secrets.

I am Thankful for Today

Author's Note: This piece was not to strengthen my writing or to write out my feelings. In two days it is Thanksgiving, and this, I believe is the least celebrated holiday. Smell the air. What do you smell? Happiness....at school!
.
Although the aunts are working their hardest to get the turkey golden and plump, no one notices. As I watch their struggling effort from the stool across the kitchen, I listen. All around me is laughter, screaming, and singing from children of all ages. Although the house is small, we all fit. In the small bedroom in outside the front door, there is frost covering the windows. Snow has finally arrived, but no one notices. The older kids hang out here. There is a computer, a television, and a comfortable sitting area, but no one notices. We sit on the floor. We talk, we laugh, we throw things at each other. You are never left out. Being too young to be classified as a little kid, I stay in this room. I am welcomed. Grandma rings the bell, even though by now we are all sitting around the orange and gold table anyway. Then, our feast arrives. The highlight of the night. Turkey, chicken, and stuffing are traditional, and necessary. They arrive first. Then, come potatoes, cherry marshmallow salad, and rolls. We eat more than what is good for us, but no one notices. When the adults finish their meal, and we have thrown all of our food at each other, we stand. We try and form a circle, but this attempt is usually unsuccessful. Finally, we pray. We go around the circle saying what we are thankful for. I hear lots of "Family," and "Health." I also hear "Hippo's," and "Pokémon!" As I wait for my turn, I think hard. Mason speaks before I do, and Emma is waiting for her turn, which comes after mine. I am ready. I speak loud and clear, telling my relatives what I am thankful for. I hope I don't get made fun of, as I scan the room waiting for feedback. After all, my response was kind of cheesy. But I get applause, because it is the reason why we are here. I see smiles, and finally I give one back. Everyone notices.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Essay of the Week

Author's Note: This is my first essay, is doesn't go into social studies or science, but I had fun writing it and I learned a lot.

Christmas lights, can be a waste of electricity. Now it is that time of year. Your parents are debating on when to put the Christmas decorations up, and more importantly, the Christmas lights. You may be lazy, but Christmas spirit overpowers you. But as you are hanging the green and red lights, you realize that there may be something you forgot to think about. Maybe...how much electricity will be used this year? Will it be worth the cost?


Lets say you light up your bushes and garage with 5 strings of 100 bulbs. You also have one spotlight showing your cut-out of Santa, and you show these lights from 4-9 PM. This would cost your family 48 cents a day. I'll let you do the math and add up the cost for the season. You are also using 4 kilowatts an hour. Just to give you some more understanding, a 42 inch TV only consumes 0.3 kilowatts per hour.

Common sense is a huge part in the process of saving money and electricity, because we now know how much wattage we are using. Simple things, like making sure your lights are on a timer, or turning them off when you sleep, can keep you safer too. WE Energy says that we should check for broken lights, and if we find them we must replace them with bulbs of the same wattage. Also, we should use no more than 3 light sets per extension cords. Like I said, common sense will save you money, electricity, and a lot of trouble.

Now that you know how to save electricity, I think you should spread the word. Help make Christmas merrier. Tell others to put up some day decorations that celebrate the holiday just as well. Things like wreaths, ornaments on trees in your yard, and a wooden Santa or two, all have the same effect as Christmas lights. These things cost less, look pretty, and are probably more efficient than a bunch of IB's on a string. Save the world. Use less lights.


Look on the We Energies website to find the amount of wattage YOU use every Christmas.

Struggling

Authors Note: Are any of you out there worried about where you will be in 10 years? Of course not! We are young! We are curious and crazy! But for me, there has always been that fact in the back of my mind that whatever we do WILL affect our futures. So this thought deserves a poem.

I never have crazy ideas.
I ruin dreams, I crush feelings.

No explosives on school property
Too much homework
These aren't excuses, but facts

I try to be polite,
Common sense takes over my brain.
My creative personality falls unconscious.

I apologize to any of you who have questioned my voice of reason.

A little fun never hurt anyone, right?
Some people remember the lectures we were given when we messed up.

Have you ever heard of a six month plan,
Meant to give kids a better future?
Sounds positive,
Extremely well thought out

I do not blog about such things.
I blog negatively.

There is a flaw
Which shatters the plan;

One police record
Completely failed report card
Or missed goal on your soccer team.
Leads to a failure of the acclaimed sixth month plan.

Truth comes out,
As it always does.
We shape our future when we are young and foolish.

Why do you read my posts?
This one is getting much too long,
You could be studying for important tests
or impressing your language arts teacher.

We shape our lives like clay
in an art room.
A dent in the clay,
Stays in the clay.
We cannot change what we've done.
The clay cannot be fixed.

If I crushed the feelings
That you woke up with
Happy
Secure

I apologize.

If you are looking for happy posts,
do not keep reading,
you will find none here.


Go to Natalie's Blog, Kati's Blog, Brett's Blog, or Xavier's blog, for happy stories. Ask me tomorrow and maybe I will be a completely different person.

As You Like It

Speak'st thou in sober meanings? By my life I do.

What?! Does this make any sense to you? I suppose you could tell that a question is being answered, and in somewhat of a businesslike manner. What is really means is the common phrase used today. Are you serious? Then the answer, I swear on my life, yes!

In the play, As You Like It, by Shakespeare, all of the lines look like the one shown at the top. It is in English, if you were wondering. This was the English language that was spoken in Shakespeare's time. The stories are great, and As You Like It is a beautifully written story, but I will admit it is hard to decode.

With the help of Spark Notes, As You Like It has been translated into No Fear Shakespeare. It is a version of the book where the pages are divided into two sections. On the right side, is the authors original version. On the left side, is the modern version. It is the same story, only you can choose to read William Shakespeare's ornate form; written in the early 1600's. Or you can read the newer form, with different words and sentence structure. The greatest part of No Fear Shakespeare is that you don't have to make this choice!

This book company makes almost all of Shakespeare's books and can be found at Barnes & Noble. I highly suggest that you check them out, and you will probably find As You like It, to be more interesting, once you can understand it.

Fear

Author's Note: My first night in my new room I hear sounds outside. Crashes, squeaks, and the darkness, fill my dreams. I wake up to see construction on the neighbor's house and the heater under my room. Lesson learned: Fear lasts for a day at the most.

On your way home from work, you approach the shortcut to your house. It is a dark alley where strange people are rumored to hang out, and where a man supposedly got struck twice by lightning. The alternative is a 4 block route around the neighborhood. You start to walk forward, toward the shortcut. As you reach the half way point, you congratulate yourself for making it this far. Then, you drop to the ground. You hear a loud crash and a car brake squeak. The building on your right starts to collapse. You run forward and out of the alley. When you open the door, you hop inside and slide down the back of the door. You should be happy to have made it home, but you aren't. You are scared.

Bloodcurdling, creepy, eerie, alarming, chilling, horrendous, hair-raising, and spooky. These words swarm in your mind when you are on the edge of your chair. Whether you are watching a scary movie or hearing a storm outside, your nerves kick in and take control of your mind. Your senses are out of control.

First, your nerves have taken over your sense of touch. Every table that you crash into, every doorway that you hit seems like the end. You jump out of your chair when your dog comes up to your feet. Everything knocks you off balance and you are always terrified to turn around and look.

Next, your sight is blurry. Your head snaps around at the funny things in the night. Your eyes hurt from looking in too many directions and you might pass out if you keep this up. You are tempted to keep your eyes closed all day, but that may make you more frightened. Is it worth the risk?

Your hearing, how is it? You wouldn't know because your hands are covering your ears, then you stop and realize you don't have big enough hands to protect your eyes too! The noises hurt your ears, and you shake with every scream, crash, and explosion as if you were experiencing them yourself. The pain in your ears slowly fades because the fear has taken over once again and you can't hear a thing.

Lastly, smoke fills the air and breathing becomes difficult. A taste comes into your mouth that you didn't have before. Is it possible to eat flames? Your mouth burns, and your nose is frozen. You cannot breath. You remember to stop and drop, but once you are on the ground you are a statue. Your mind fills with panic and you can only lay there.

Fear can change people permanently. You may not leave your house for years, or never open that closet in the basement. You may flinch whenever you see a flame, or even leave the room. In some cases, your mind might turn demonic, and it may begin to enjoy your phobia. People are tormented by fear. They live their lives terrified of something happening that is out of the ordinary. If you are in this war, it is impossible to win. In the back of your mind, your phobia haunts you. The only thing you can do is stand up straight and put on a fake smile.

To conquer a fear you have to change yourself as a person. You have to first create and image of your self, one that you are never scared. Then, over your life time you must change your self to be that image. You can try and depending on the fear, you may be able to overcome it. There are some fears, however that will dwell in your mind for the rest of your life and haunt you.

Author's Note: Book responses are boring. That was putting it simply, so since this is such a fictional book, I decided to put you into it. It will leave you guessing what will happen next, every time you put it down. I also would like to showcase the little acts of kindness that make our day, and the one in this book that made me smile.
To miss death by an inch, several times, is a great feat. When there are traitors everywhere and there is a 200,000 Galleon price on your head, it becomes even more impressive. Now, imagine putting up with this every day. You and your two best friends (who have enough problems to deal with) decide to run away. Escape –verb (used without object) to slip or get away, as from confinement or restraint; gain or regain liberty.
Casting protective spells around your tent, you set out to find some berries and fish in the woods for dinner, when the taboo is used. Some one said his name, the greatest wizard of all time, has been disrespected. The death eaters come, wands at the ready. You try to fight, but your feeble attempts are no good. From the tree that they have cursed you back into you hear them talking to each other excitedly. "Oi! We've got Potter!"
You have been found, and you are to die. Lord Voldemort awaits your arrival, and you have no more protection. Your friends? Fighting for their lives. Your headmaster? Killed by a fellow teacher before he could tell you anything useful. You are alone, and will do your best to save the entire wizarding world. A death eater comes up to you, as you are laying on the ground, one of your enemy's mother. She was sent to check to see if you are alive. You are in pain and you're ready to be discovered. No one has ever shown kindness to you before, and this particular women has tried to kill you, earlier in the year. She leans down next to your face and says, "Is Draco alive, is he in the castle?" in no more than a whisper.
She s referring to her son, who you saw earlier. If she turns you in, it's all over. You decide to trust her, you might as well do some good in the world in your last few seconds. Her face lights up, as she announces you are dead. She lied to save you, for a small piece of information. What has this world become?
You are alive. You are safe. You can go, and save your friends, and save innocent lives from being taken.
This is the life of Harry Potter.
Sources: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling

Word: Match

Authors Note: Have you ever watched pro-wrestling? It is violent and vicious, no offense to any fans out there. This was a word association piece, but I felt like it needed more emotion. Next time that you watch pro-wrestling, really think about what is going on in the wrestlers minds. Tell me how you would feel.

You are standing in the center of the red arena, waiting for your opponent to come out. From where he will do this, you do not know. It could be under, over, or behind you, and you are not scared. "COME ON! FIGHT!", you shout, your voice mirroring your emotions. The crowd goes wild. You are ready. You have been preparing for this for long, hard years. Years spent training and not talking to anyone but coach. It is not your first time in the ring, but this is the first time it matters. Today you will not only be representing your team, and fighting the biggest, strongest, and most popular wrestler on the opposite team. You will be fighting your brother. You raise your arms out, to show how big you are. He smirks, as he is a foot taller and wider than you. He runs a few steps back, and you are startled. Your coach said that he would start with this move, but you are not ready. The crowd is up on their feet, and you see a child watching on his father's shoulders. You take a second to remember when this was you, years back. Those were the same years when you and your brother fought in the living room for fun, not money. By recalling this memory, you gave your opponent a huge advantage, you have no time to spare. He charges and you swing a punch, but you're knocked to the ground . The mass on top of you is too much for you to handle. Your arms go limp and your entire chest is throbbing. Your vision goes blank, and you feel excruciating pain in your head, the only thing you can hear is the announcer say your name and then, "...has finally met his match..."

Authors Note: The Giver, by Lois Lowry, takes place in a world where no one has feelings. It is a book in a dystopic world, and I would like to refect on where dystpoia really is. Oh, and by the way, it is supposed to be depressing.

Tomorrow
The food will run out
The lights will turn off, and wont come back on
The days will get shorter when we have more work to do
The people you see, might not be there the next day
Everyone will be treated the same, if not at all
Some will simply give up
The animals will flee
The plants will stop growing
The water will be sparse
Everyday objects will not be used anymore
There wont be enough to live for
Some will simply give up
The world will have no government
The trends will die out
Mothers and Fathers wont matter
Memories will fade
And even with each others help,
Some will simply give up

Today
Our population is growing
Our love is getting stronger
Our families are healthy
We are working towards goals
Our dreams are brilliant
There is nothing we can't do
Our children are intelligent
Our hands hold loads
Our scientists know a better way of life
Our knowledge is full
Our bodies are fit
There is nothing we can't do
Our minds think outside the box
Our teachers are learning too
Our days hold plenty of fun
There is nothing we cant do
If we work together we could,
Possibly stop tomorrow from coming

Inspired by the Hunger Games, The Giver, and all other
books taking place in Dystopia

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

In my first blog post, I am going to be talking about Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (that's the fifth one for those of you who don't know). This is my second time reading the series and I highly recommend these books to anyone who hasn't yet read them.
As you probably know, Harry Potter, who is now 13, is a wizard. He starts out his summer almost being expelled from his school, Hogwarts. Luckily he is saved my the mysterious headmaster, Dumbledore. But when he gets back to school, strange things are happening. The Ministry, which is sort of like the wizard government, is taking over Hogwarts. They fire all of the teachers and change all of the rules and naturally, the new headmistress hates Harry. Meanwhile, at Harry's new home, his uncle who is known as a murderer, is in trouble. Harry must survive school, get Dumbledore back, and clear his uncle's name, while hiding from and training to battle his infamous enemy, Lord Voldemort.
However, like all other teenage boys, Harry Potter also has to deal with friend problems and girl troubles, too. The Order of the Phoenix is a secret society made of friendly people that are all anti-Voldemort, and have all trained hard to fight him. But they always have time to help Harry out with his problems too.
This is one of my favorite in the series and if you haven't already, you should definitely read it.