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HOGWARTS MONTHLY: Y37 SEMESTER 1 ISSUE
A Bright New Year By: Nell Wright |
Kia ora koutou katoa, welcome all and welcome back to a new year at Hogwarts! In addition to the brand new students who are walking our halls for the first time this year, Hogwarts also welcomed several new Professors! If you somehow haven't become acquainted with them in the last semester, keep an eye out for Professor Blaze wrangling creatures, Professor Green introducing us all to the wonderful world of Muggles, Professor Mercury calculating life's mysteries, and Professor Cade brewing up a storm (though hopefully not literally! With all the new faces among us, this year has gotten off to as busy a start as usual. The club fair was as busy as ever, and I'm sure nobody who attended could possibly complain of boredom, as the school's clubs have been keeping us all busy with plenty of activities to choose from! The race to the Quidditch cup is underway, and you can read all about the drama on the pitch in today's issue. And as always, between feasts and balls and meetings galore, there's plenty of time to forget all about your overdue homework and the exams on the horizon. With all that going on, thank you for choosing to sit down and spend your afternoon with this semester's issue of Hogwarts Monthly! |
All Hallow's Eve By: River Hopkins-Vance |
Halloween is known as one of the more magical holidays, always associated with witches and wizards. All Hallow's Eve marks the end of the summer and the harvest season, making way for the darker, colder nights of winter. For centuries this holiday has been celebrated by the magical community. It is often said the veil between the living and the dead is the thinnest, allowing ghosts and those who passed on return to the land of the living. For a holiday with so much expectations set, Hogwarts New Zealand did not let us down. The Great Hall had turned into a spooky paradise. The decorations and activities were endless on this hallow night. The Great Hall sky had transform into an eerie image, clouds moving over a full move, bats flying into the air. All the house banners were changed into the classic Halloween colours of orange and black; it was difficult to even see houses, as we were all one group celebrating a classic Halloween. The lack of house banners was not the only thing confusing House roles this magical night. Many of the students came dressed up as students from other houses. The costume pool did not end with changing houses, however, there were many ghouls, ghosts, and monsters hanging around. Scary could not describe even half the costumes, some students opting for the more comedic route, others choosing down right adorable costumes. Everyone seemed to be getting into the spirit, the Great Hall full of students and staff alike. Between bobbing for apples, a pinata in the form of a grindylow, and a world changing spooky tent, everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The spooky tent drew masses with its fun house mirrors and jump scares. It certainly had a few students' screams fill the air in the Great Hall! For those who did not enjoy a good scare for fun, the snack table was the place to be. All the Halloween desserts and drinks you can think of were there to be devoured, from pumpkin juice to cauldron cakes, obviously accompanied by enough candy to give you a stomach ache. Overall, the Halloween celebrations were a success! The staff, house elves, and students put all the work in to make it a special time for all. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard on this night, including the first year Herbology students and their amazing pumpkins. The night was one to remember for students of all years. The big question remains; How will Hogwarts top it next year? |
Club Events By: Nell Wright | Quidditch By: Thalia Pourroulis |
Though not quite the frenzy we witnessed last year, this year's club fair was as busy as ever, and with the calendar of events we've seen this year it would be hard to be disappointed with the activities on offer, no matter what clubs you signed up for! As always, we at Hogwarts Monthly have all the scoops you may have missed on what went on this semester, so come next year's Club Fair you'll know exactly which organisations are fitted to your interests. Before the club fair even started though, the Student Defense Association brought in the year with an exhibition duel between the club's two leaders, showing all the prospective new members what they could learn by signing up. The showdown between club leaders Tyler Lee and the Monthly's own Sydney Townsend was thrilling from start to dramatic finish, ending with Lee triumphing over his co-leader. The club followed this event up with an open practice session, where the two leaders helped club members perfect their duelling skills ahead of next semester's tournament. Even for the most pacifist-minded, it's clear that this year's tournament will be one to keep your eyes on for sure! As usual, there isn't much to be said here about the school's two publishing clubs, Hogwarts Monthly and Accio!, our student yearbook. Creating a magazine or a yearbook takes a lot of time and effort, and while we might not be putting on the flashiest meetings, we hope our work behind the scenes speaks for itself. The Accio team have been hard at work on their own, and the Monthly staff opened the year with a casual social meeting, before getting hard to work on this very issue. The Conglomerated Arts Club has also held an event, but you can read all about that elsewhere in this issue. Heta Omega and the Brotherhood of MAGIC have been making waves throughout the student body, and it would be downright irresponsible not to cover the juicy details in this issue. Both clubs started the year off with fairly standard meetings to welcome members new and old, and introduce new members of the clubs' leadership. The two clubs, known for working together, had something extra up their sleeves though; a blind dating scheme for the Yule Ball. Members looking for someone to spend the dance with signed up to be matched with members of the opposing club. While as a queer woman I have questions about the heteronormativity of this scheme (could I have been matched with another girl if I had specifically asked? Why should I have needed to ask?) as a single woman I must admit I'm excited both for my own date and to see the outcomes of the other club members. Whether the scheme will be a rousing success or an absolute catastrophy will have to be decided on the dancefloor. And last but by no means least, the Wild Patch club. King of the Trees William Kaimarama treated us all to a feast of foraged goods, imparting his knowledge about surviving in the wild to the club's members, and giving them a jolly good lunch while he was at it. The club has taken several recent detours from its usual repertoire of simply keeping the garden, to give us deeper insights into our roles as guardians of nature, the different roles plants can serve in our own lives, and how to care not just for our plants but the ecosystem around them, and it's been fun to learn the bigger picture. The variety of clubs on offer is part of what makes Hogwarts the place it is, and if you're looking for a way to enrich your mind and social life, I hope this article has given you ideas of which club or clubs you would benefit from the most! I hope to see you at next year's club fair! I'm Nell Wright, and I joined every club so you don't have to. _________________________________________________________ | With a new season of Quidditch comes a fresh start for all the teams. The tension and determination are high with the first game of the season approaching. Most people wouldn’t know this, but there comes a lot of pressure with playing a sport. Especially with a sport as competitive as Quidditch. The teams to start off the season are Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Both teams have strong players, and both determined to win. It seems as though there are quite a few new players on the Hufflepuff team, and some new additions to the Slytherin team too, so it should be interesting to see how the match goes. __________________________________________________________Hufflepuff chaser Hunter Robinson is quick to take possession of the quaffle first; and is soon followed by both the Slytherin chasers and his own teammates. Luckily for Hufflepuff, Robinson manages to score, making that the first goal of the season. Not long after, however, Hufflepuff seeker and co-captain Elliot Briar gets hit by a bludger. One could say it is karma. Or plain bad luck for having scored. Either way, if the Hufflepuff beaters do not pull their weight soon and protect their sekeer, it might not end well for their team. Jasper Night grabs the quaffle, ready to even out the score. And indeed, he scores. Hufflepuff co-captain Abian Hunter is the next person to take possession; and puts his team ahead by ten points as he scores! The chasers are definitely having luck on their side today. The bludgers, on the other hand, are struggling to hit their targets. Maybe they should have gotten some more practice in before the game. In fact, it is going so badly that one of the Slytherin beaters attempted to hit a bludger but it hit her instead. Ouch. Next to catch the quaffle is Tres Bear the second…or however you pronounce it. She gets close to the hoops and tries to score…but fails. The first unsuccessful score of the season. It looks like everyone is getting a shot at holding the quaffle as Amy Jewel from the badgers team heads off into the opposite direction. Another unsuccessful attempt. There seems to be some action from both seekers as they almost crash to the ground. Meanwhile, one of the Slytherin beaters gets hit by a bludger a second time. That must not be any fun. Cue the Slytherin Keeper being hit by a bludger too. Just as the seekers are about to have a repeat of last year’s collision, Slytherin Captain and seeker Blake Irons suddenly shoots back up into the air holding out the snitch – securing the win for the snakes. It was a tough game, very well played, and a well-deserved win for Slytherin. The second game of the season has the Gryffindor chasers getting possession of the quaffle before any of the Ravenclaws even get the chance – myself included. One of the Ravenclaw beaters sends a bludger towards one of the Gryffindor beaters. I know from experience that getting hit by one is painful, to say the least. Meanwhile, Gryffindor manages to score, making them ahead. The game has just begun and yet the Ravenclaw Seeker and Co-Captain Minnie Calida gets hit by a bludger. For some reason none of the chasers on Ravenclaw scoops up the quaffle, and Gryffindor steals it before they can. Gryffindor score again. Either they are really skilled, or the Ravenclaw Keeper has bad luck on his side today. With Ravenclaw finally in possession, myself and Teodora Pourroulis head to the other side of the pitch, hoping to score at least once. There’s some passing back and forth, and finally, when an attempt to score is made, it is worth it. The beaters’ aim is fairly off this game, as the wrong targets are hit by those nasty bludgers. Gryffindor tries to score once more but this time the quaffle does not go through any of the hoops. No sign of the snitch from the sekeers just yet. I grab the quaffle as soon as it is thrown back into play, hopeful to even out the score this time. On another side of the pitch, Juniper Zumwalt somehow manages to hit teammate Chloe Chan with a bludger…something you do not want to happen during an important game. These bludgers sure are going haywire. Horrifyingly, the Ravenclaw seeker is taken out of the game as she is hit three times. Now that is tragic. I do hope she recovers soon! Lily Harbour, alternate seeker, takes her spot, despite Ravenclaw’s chances of winning decreasing a great deal. However, Lily gets hit by a bludger almost as soon as she is up in the air. That lion beater Lysander Summers for sure lives up to the expectations of being an amazing player with some serious skill. Once again, my fellow Ravenclaw chaser and I take the quaffle, certainly confusing the opposite team by passing to each other, and to my relief I am able to score. It seems all too familiar as the Ravenclaw seeker gets hit yet again. One more, and she’s out. At last, Ravenclaw succeeds in hitting one of the Gryffindor beaters, though it isn’t enough to throw him off his game. Gryffindor beater Emma van Houten is taken out of the game after being hit three times. That is two players out of one game. Finally, after a long and intense match, Sierra Woodlock wraps her fingers around the golden ball, making Gryffindor the winner and preventing any more injuries. Overall, both games were intense to say the least, but I admire the commitment and determination of every single player. It is never easy to go out there and attempt to win, especially in front of the entire school, which puts us under a lot of pressure. Most teams have many new members and it is amazing to see the talent that everyone brings to their team. That is all from me for now, and may the best team win the cup next semester! |
Conglomerated Arts Club: The Revival Continues By: Estella Fuentes | OPINION Stressed Out: Picking A Career By: Violet Fields |
When you’re wanting to take your mind off classes, Hogwarts always provides some distractions. There are plenty of clubs within Hogwarts, some have come and gone, and one club in particular is continuing to make themselves known again. The Conglomerated Arts Club was a club that had been around for quite some time when our parents were still at school. The room continued to exist however, and until last year, it had been collecting dust and not many people even knew about it. This semester the club had their second event since coming back, and it was definitely lots of fun! __________________________________________________________After putting together some Christmas Baubles the year prior, The Conglomerated Arts club decided to make their own things instead to celebrate the season - Christmas Cards and Yule Ball invitations. Some new people attended, and not everyone was good at it, showing that even the least creative of us are welcome. With delicious cookies and hot chocolate from the house elves to keep everyone motivated, the Conglomerated Arts Club really pulled it off thanks to their club leader and sixth year Ravenclaw Emily Underwood, whom I think deserves a lot of credit for finally getting this club up and running again! There was plenty of glitter and construction paper to go around, and some people came out with quite peculiar creations in the end, which really showed everyone’s character and hopefully motivated others. I hope that whoever received them really liked them! This keeps me wondering, where will the Conglomerated Arts Club go next year? Maybe they could put together another talent show? Or start a sewing class? The revival of this club brings on so many new opportunities for everyone at Hogwarts, allowing them to show their true colours and gain some new skills, and perhaps it could give others some motivation to revive some other clubs that had ceased in the past, which would definitely be interesting to see! There are plenty of ways this could go and I know I’m not the only one that is still excited about it! | I hope that I’m not alone in saying that picking out a career can be the most trivial, the most stressful time ever when it comes to deciding a path to your future. To many, it’s not a problem. It’s not an issue. Some can follow a familiar road, go on to do something they already understand due to a parent or relative working in that same field. They’re either influenced or dictated to choose this path. And then there are others who find a career path on their own by exploring their options. Becoming great in something they picked up along the way in the course of their seven years at Hogwarts. I’m sure there are many other ways one can choose a career. If I knew every single one of those ways perhaps I wouldn’t have the need to write this article at all. And, I might already know where my future lies if I get there. __________________________________________________________The stress is there. With or without picking a career, some form of it is present. And I ask why do we have to pick such a choice so quickly? In the time we’re trying to figure out who we are as a person, what we stand for in our own skin. Why do we have to make a choice so sudden, so hasty without a second thought? And I say this as a skilled duelist, there so much more that needs to be learned when it comes to harnessing our magic. Personally, I partly blame these outdated traditions that remain intact in our school curriculum. Most of it stems from that or simply the fact that there has been no significant change in such a long time. I hope that I’m not alone in feeling this way. There is so much more to be said, but I think I’ve summarized and stressed my point quite enough. This opinion piece does not reflect anyone else in Hogwarts Monthly but my own. |
Interview Spotlight: Professor Kahurangi Josephs By: Adorah Zumwalt |
When I was deciding what prominent member of Hogwarts I wanted to interview, I couldn't find anyone better than my own head of house, Professor Kahurangi Josephs! She was kind of enough to sit down with me and chat in between her duties for Ravenclaw and teaching Ancient Runes. Below is the transcript of our interview. Thank you again, Professor! Adorah: Thank you for meeting with me today, Professor Josephs! I'm glad we're able to spotlight you so the students, including myself, can get to know you better. Professor Josephs: Thank you for asking! I only hope I don't make too much of a fool of myself. Adorah: Oh, I'm sure you won't! We can start with some of the fun questions I've written down to maybe ease into the interview? How about - what food do you dislike the most? Professor Josephs:Dislike? Oh dear... well, I've never liked asparagus, no matter how much my dad insists it's delicious. Adorah: Oh, well, who really does like asparagus? [laughs] It has such an odd texture. Now that we are asking questions, I was wondering if you could tell me more about yourself as a student like where you went to school and your successes during that time. Professor Josephs: I went to school right here at Hogwarts, and I was a pretty average student. I was never a Prefect or Quidditch star or anything of the like, I was still figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. I didn't really become a good student until I was almost thirty. The one fun fact students might not know actually is that Professor Ward and I were classmates, we've been good friends since our own days at Hogwarts. Adorah: Wow, that's awesome to hear that many of our professors understand exactly what the students are going through. You say you weren't a good student until you were older - does that mean you pursued more schooling after Hogwarts? Professor Josephs: I did! I went to a muggle university immediately after Hogwarts, but I didn't have the background I needed in a lot of muggle subjects, and I wound up flunking out entirely. I took a couple of years off to figure things out, then went back and finished muggle high school as an adult, then got my teaching degree in my early thirties. It's never too late to figure out what you want to do with your life, or pick up goals you had abandoned earlier on, and success at Hogwarts isn't a requirement for success later on in life. Adorah: I think your perseverance and positive spirit are something we all can hope to work toward! That being said, what would be your biggest piece of advice for Hogwarts studnets as they enter the real world? Professor Josephs: Thank you so much! I think the most important things for everyone to remember are to reach out for help when you need it, and be compassionate with yourself. Growing up doesn't mean you stop needing help, and it's important to know where you can go when you do need it. And when things do get rough it's much too easy to add to that roughness yourself. You are the only friend you'll have for your whole life, so when you're struggling show yourself the same aroha and tautoko* you would show any other friend. Get the help you need, go at your own pace, and forgive yourself things that go wrong. Adorah: That's wonderful advice, Professor. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you some more lighthearted questions again to round out our interview! Professor Josephs: That sounds wonderful! Adorah: Awesome! My first one is popular, but I think it tells so much about a person. If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, and why? Professor Josephs: Oh, that's a hard one! It might be a bit cliche, but I reckon Freddie Mercury would be a lot of fun to have dinner with. My mum and dad brought me up on his music, and he seemed like a great bloke to spend time with. Terry Pratchett would be fun too, I love his books and I'm always curious when it comes to fantasy authors about whether they're aware of our world or not. Would be a lot of fun to pick his brain. Adorah: That sounds very interesting. My parents played a little Queen when I was growing up, as well! Next question: if you could have any magical creature as a pet (whether it's legal or not), what would it be? And what would you name it? Professor Josephs: Oooh, that's a good question! I mean, the tempting answer is a dragon I could fly around on, but it would probably eat my dogs. I'd probably name it Tāwhirimātea though, it'd be fitting since my brothers are named for Tāne Mahuta and Tangaroa. Adorah: That sounds dangerous! Maybe you could get those miniature dragons that don't hurt anything or your dogs. Alright! Last question: what would it take to have a trampoline added to the Ravenclaw common room? Professor Josephs: Oh dear, that's a dangerous question. I've avoided the trampoline question so far, but I suppose my response would be... why does it have to be in a common room? If I were a student I would be angling for a trampoline somewhere open to the whole school, and somewhere it could serve a dual purpose... the ground of the quidditch pitch. Propose the idea as a safety measure, and you're much more likely to succeed. But don't tell Katherine [Alicastell] I said that. Adorah: That's actually a really good idea. Maybe some of the students who are invested in the idea will pursue it that way. I think that about wraps it up as I have to head to class. Thank you for letting me get to know you more and speaking with me today! *Aroha - Love Tautoko - Support |
