Dear HNZ members of new and old,
HNZ is about to head into its second semester of its 51st year, and celebrate it's 21 OOC year of life. HNZ was started back in 2005 and has likely been the longest running Harry Potter RPG in all the internet. The site has existed for 21 years and lasted 8 years post-Zetaboards and has gone through numerous changes and updates. The site has had two skin changes, we've moved servers and there have been 9 headpeople and 6 or 7 Minister for Magic. HNZ has always been a great place to improve writing, to have explore characters, to explore your creativity. The decision which has been made hasn't been made lightly, but HNZ is also a product of its own success and running the site is now a much more burdensome task for all involved.
The admin have been in discussion, weighing up the choices that we have, monitoring activity for the last year, which has been steadily declining, and deciding what is best for the future. Both for ourselves and the GMs as people with lives outside of the site, and for the site itself. HNZ is a mammoth of a site to run, with the time crunches, the lessons and the other activities, all which have helped make HNZ stand out as an RPG website, but that do require a level of attention and commitment to make sure run smoothly.
This decision isn't one we come to lightly, it isn't one that we necessarily expected to make, but it is the one we have come to.
As of June 2026, HNZ will be closing its doors. This means Y51 will be the last IC year of the school, with this being the last semester. We will be having the birthday celebrations, a last hurrah for the life the site has lived and then moving to close down by June. Given this, we will still have lessons, but their importance will be much less, most end grades can be decided between yourself and the professor of the class. Valentines Celebration and the Graduation will be held, as well as one last End of Year Feast. This will be an opportunity to give some characters a bit of a round off. This last semester will place a much greater emphasis on just interactions and fun things, rather than lessons and responsibilities.
We understand that this will be disappointing and it is a sad moment, for anyone whose joined us later, or who were particularly enthused by the characters they currently had. But the end of HNZ doesn't mean the end of those characters, and whatever head canons you take forward with those characters are valid.
In June we will move the site to read only, so you'll continue to access things, and we'll make sure that things like all previous sortings are accessible. We'll sort the Yuleball threads, Valentines Threads and Halloween threads, so you can find those in one location each with ease, and we'll finish one last ACCIO (consider this THE reminder to post your pictures one last time). HNZ will remain accessible, so you'll be able to re-read the threads for the foreseeable future. If you have questions about any of the process, then we are here to answer them.
I joined HNZ in very late 2007, and it has been a really big part of my life for the past 19 years. I have currently spent more of my life on HNZ than not, which is truly wild. In that time, I've seen so many changes, so many progressions. This fills me with a deep and great sadness, HNZ has always been just an easy place to come back to and I know that I will feel the loss of it. I want to take a personal moment to thank all of the GMs, all of the members who had Professors, Shopkeepers, club leaders, prefects Head Masters, Head of houses etc. for all of the work that you put in at various stages of the site's life. Whether you were a shopkeeper for a semester or many, the contributions made by all those on the site can never be devalued. You made the site what it is. You made the site last as long as it did.
I also would like to take a moment to thank Donna, and Liv, both of whom have been previous admin, who have served the site above and beyond what was ever expected. To Nick, our resident coding and everything extraordinaire, who has built us and helped sustain the site in ways that at the site's beginning felt absolutely wild. The Gradebook is a great example of that, the quidditch system, just amazing things. To Alicia, our founder who put in the work right at the very beginning and launched the site back in 2005. This place wouldn't have been possible without her.
And finally, before I sign off, I'd like to thank Cyndi, our other current resident admin. Cyndi, you have done a great deal for this site, countless hours and dedication. Working with you has been a pleasure and an honour and the stories we could both tell about the craziness which has also followed it. The site would've been nothing without you, and I know others will join me in that sentiment.
Right, Professors be sure to check out the professor area soon, where we'll have more information on the final semester. Applications will be open until IC Valentines days, so be sure to get any and all last minute apps in to round off characters or give them traits that you'd like before things close off. Accio members I will be speaking to you shortly, and we'll move to make this the last best Accio ever, and be sure to invite all back for our last birthday celebrations.
Know that we all have a heavy heart with this; however, we are closing and shutting down on our terms, for a site which has lasted much longer than I think any of us thought possible. The friendships made with the site can never been downplayed, (special shout out to Anna for me who was at my wedding) and I know a lot of you will keep in touch in other places, doing other things, writing still amazing characters.
The magic we created here will live on even as the site officially closes.
All was well,
Emzies
On behalf of the admin
HNZ is about to head into its second semester of its 51st year, and celebrate it's 21 OOC year of life. HNZ was started back in 2005 and has likely been the longest running Harry Potter RPG in all the internet. The site has existed for 21 years and lasted 8 years post-Zetaboards and has gone through numerous changes and updates. The site has had two skin changes, we've moved servers and there have been 9 headpeople and 6 or 7 Minister for Magic. HNZ has always been a great place to improve writing, to have explore characters, to explore your creativity. The decision which has been made hasn't been made lightly, but HNZ is also a product of its own success and running the site is now a much more burdensome task for all involved.
The admin have been in discussion, weighing up the choices that we have, monitoring activity for the last year, which has been steadily declining, and deciding what is best for the future. Both for ourselves and the GMs as people with lives outside of the site, and for the site itself. HNZ is a mammoth of a site to run, with the time crunches, the lessons and the other activities, all which have helped make HNZ stand out as an RPG website, but that do require a level of attention and commitment to make sure run smoothly.
This decision isn't one we come to lightly, it isn't one that we necessarily expected to make, but it is the one we have come to.
As of June 2026, HNZ will be closing its doors. This means Y51 will be the last IC year of the school, with this being the last semester. We will be having the birthday celebrations, a last hurrah for the life the site has lived and then moving to close down by June. Given this, we will still have lessons, but their importance will be much less, most end grades can be decided between yourself and the professor of the class. Valentines Celebration and the Graduation will be held, as well as one last End of Year Feast. This will be an opportunity to give some characters a bit of a round off. This last semester will place a much greater emphasis on just interactions and fun things, rather than lessons and responsibilities.
We understand that this will be disappointing and it is a sad moment, for anyone whose joined us later, or who were particularly enthused by the characters they currently had. But the end of HNZ doesn't mean the end of those characters, and whatever head canons you take forward with those characters are valid.
In June we will move the site to read only, so you'll continue to access things, and we'll make sure that things like all previous sortings are accessible. We'll sort the Yuleball threads, Valentines Threads and Halloween threads, so you can find those in one location each with ease, and we'll finish one last ACCIO (consider this THE reminder to post your pictures one last time). HNZ will remain accessible, so you'll be able to re-read the threads for the foreseeable future. If you have questions about any of the process, then we are here to answer them.
I joined HNZ in very late 2007, and it has been a really big part of my life for the past 19 years. I have currently spent more of my life on HNZ than not, which is truly wild. In that time, I've seen so many changes, so many progressions. This fills me with a deep and great sadness, HNZ has always been just an easy place to come back to and I know that I will feel the loss of it. I want to take a personal moment to thank all of the GMs, all of the members who had Professors, Shopkeepers, club leaders, prefects Head Masters, Head of houses etc. for all of the work that you put in at various stages of the site's life. Whether you were a shopkeeper for a semester or many, the contributions made by all those on the site can never be devalued. You made the site what it is. You made the site last as long as it did.
I also would like to take a moment to thank Donna, and Liv, both of whom have been previous admin, who have served the site above and beyond what was ever expected. To Nick, our resident coding and everything extraordinaire, who has built us and helped sustain the site in ways that at the site's beginning felt absolutely wild. The Gradebook is a great example of that, the quidditch system, just amazing things. To Alicia, our founder who put in the work right at the very beginning and launched the site back in 2005. This place wouldn't have been possible without her.
And finally, before I sign off, I'd like to thank Cyndi, our other current resident admin. Cyndi, you have done a great deal for this site, countless hours and dedication. Working with you has been a pleasure and an honour and the stories we could both tell about the craziness which has also followed it. The site would've been nothing without you, and I know others will join me in that sentiment.
Right, Professors be sure to check out the professor area soon, where we'll have more information on the final semester. Applications will be open until IC Valentines days, so be sure to get any and all last minute apps in to round off characters or give them traits that you'd like before things close off. Accio members I will be speaking to you shortly, and we'll move to make this the last best Accio ever, and be sure to invite all back for our last birthday celebrations.
Know that we all have a heavy heart with this; however, we are closing and shutting down on our terms, for a site which has lasted much longer than I think any of us thought possible. The friendships made with the site can never been downplayed, (special shout out to Anna for me who was at my wedding) and I know a lot of you will keep in touch in other places, doing other things, writing still amazing characters.
The magic we created here will live on even as the site officially closes.
All was well,
Emzies
On behalf of the admin
but I don't want to miss an opportunity to thank each and every one of you for helping to make this community what it is. In the same way that a house is not a home without some love and personality infused into it by its owners, a website is not a community without love and personality infused into it by its members. I've had the pleasure of RPing with all (or very nearly all) of you in some form or another and have seen the varied styles of writing and the love you've given to your characters. I hope you all continue writing in some manner or another. Much love to you all. 
