HM Dec 2063 (Y48 S1)

WELCOME By Miranda Dawes (Camilla)​

Well it's been another busy semester here at Hogwarts! As usual we have welcomed an excited (and possibly terrified) group of first years to our hallowed halls and we hope that all you firsties are settling in nicely! Also as usual we have had some staff changes - we welcome and thank Professor Killian Fox for covering lower years Muggle Studies while Professor Keller has been on maternity leave, welcomed back Professor Lyra Potter for upper years Transfiguration (is Professor Styx gone for real this time? Only time will tell) and welcome Professor Samantha Jacobs for upper years Arithmancy. It's been a pretty busy semester for everyone, so we'd just like to remind everyone to take it easy and look after themselves. Make sure you take some time to relax over the holiday break, spend time with loved ones, and come back to semester two refreshed and ready to hit the ground running!​

BEHIND THE WALLS A Reflection on Trust, Power, and Responsibility at Hogwarts ​ By Elio Boneheart (Zazz) ​

REVIEWING HOGWARTS OFFICIAL CLUBS Are They Worth It ​ By Magdalene Grey (Keirsten) ​

Hogwarts is supposed to be a home away from home for the students of Hogwarts, a home we are supposed to be able to be proud of, to feel safe at, and yet, apparently, this is not always the case for so many of us. I’m sure no one would be surprised to learn that Hogwarts, whilst trying to teach us what we need to know to survive in the world, also teaches us that we can not always rely on those meant to help and protect us, because our Professors and the people we are supposed to go to for support are not infallible and they don’t know everything. It might not even have escaped your notice that sometimes the people we should be protected from are the ones who end up in the positions of power over us, which I suppose you also see in the real world, outside of school. Isn’t the saying that a bully will always find a way?​ I was mostly reminded of this when our Dear Headmaster stood up in front of the school to remind us that we should be telling people when something happens, but he also admitted that he didn’t know anything had been going on until after the fact, and since no one really knows what’s going on, or specifically why such a thing might have come up, it leads to thinking that no one knew someone was being hurt, and if even the Headmaster can not know what is going on in his own school, can we trust that anything we say will help us? Professors, as we’ve said, are not infallible, They make mistakes and they ignore things they maybe shouldn’t, and when that fails, Heads of Houses give badges to people that shouldn’t get it. People that pull nasty pranks on other people, or who bully their peers, or simply those who are not team players. Prefect badges are supposed to be rewards, Head people are supposed to be the best of those prefects, and able to earn the respect of those beneath them, because what’s the point of having a group of people who are supposed to represent the school and the people in it if they can’t be trusted to not bully or manipulate or hurt the other students? Houses might have stereotypes, and certainly not everyone fits into them, but if some of those stereotypes are that the house is full of bullies, perhaps the people in charge need to look at what that might mean, and where it comes from, because for some reason, no one ever seems to know what’s going on, until everyone knows what’s going on, and not a single person ever tried to stop it. Maybe we all should take a really long and hard look at ourselves whilst we’re at it. None of us are innocent. __________________________________________________________

This year, there have been a lot of unofficial clubs pop up around the castle. For some reason, the professors must think all of our interests fall into just five clubs. So, what makes these clubs worth it? Brotherhood of Magic | Grade: Acceptable Description: Brotherhood of Magic is a boys only club. I’m not really sure what all they do, but it seems similar to Heta Omega, and they get together to do secret club things. You Should Join If You Want To: hang out with a bunch of boys. Conglomerated Arts Club | Grade: Exceeds Expectations Description: The CAC is a group of creative people who do creative things. You Should Join If You Want To: have a place to express yourself outside of your studies. This group embraces a variety of art forms and has even hosted a talent show in the past. Heta Omega | Grade: Acceptable Description: Heta Omega is a girls only club. They meet and have little and big sister assignments and sometimes do sleepovers or decorating. You Should Join If You Want To: have more friends that are girls and look for role models among the older students. If you like really girly stuff, this could also be the club for you but may not be the best fit for everyone. Hogwarts Monthly | Grade: Exceed Expectations Description: Pretty self-explanatory - HM is the school newspaper. The newspaper covers stories about happenings at school and other things that are of interest to students and the castle. You Should Join If You Want To: write or share your creative side in writing form. There’s lots of opportunities to write about whatever you want or stick to traditional stories. Student Duelling Association | Grade: Outstanding Description: One of the most practical groups at school, SDA lets students practice defensive magic and take part in the duelling tournament each year! You Should Join If You Want To: win the duelling tournament (it gets you more practice) or get to do magic outside of class that’s actually fun. Wild Patch | Grade: Acceptable Description: They do a lot of stuff with plants. You Should Join If You Want To: be outside or help with beautifying places around the castle. If you like playing with dirt, this is a good club for you!​ __________________________________________________________

QUIDDITCH By Eoghan Blyth (Zephie) ​

Gryffindor vs Slytherin Today I'm writing to you about the Quidditch games from the perspective of Tarot cards, to show you the importance of the meaning behind them. You'll see quickly that while their messages should be interpreted, it's an indication that they can push us in the right direction and show a path we may not have noticed before. For our first game featuring Gryffindor vs Slytherin I drew the Four of Wands. This card signifies a positive message, usually one of celebration and accomplishments. While you may be thinking that of course, one of our houses will win, there may be more to this card than first meets the eye. As this was the first game of the year we have some new faces on the pitch. For the Lions, Teddy Pirrip and Fraser Fergusson are the new Co-Captains, with Ver Alicia Richelieu joining the team as a Chaser. For the Snakes, second year Sayuri Edogawa has also become a permanent Chaser. Sayuri was the first to grab the Quaffle for Slytherin, despite being one of the youngest members of the team. Despite her attempt however she missed, and the ball was taken by Alicia for the Lions. Sayuri wasn't the only one to fail though as it just goes to show that even if you're one of the eldest you might not score either. The Slytherin twins were quick to take repossession, while all four beaters on the pitch seemed to be doing their best to fling their bats around in the air for fun instead of hitting anything. Quaffle and Bludgers were thrown from team to team for some time, and you wouldn't have missed much of the game had you paused watching here for refreshments. It was only sometime later that Gryffindor's Santiago managed to hit Ignatius with the first bludger of the match, quickly followed by Sayuri. As the game was now beginning to pick up in both speed and bruises, Santiago hit the youngest chaser once again, while Miro also managed to send a second one toward Kanako who'd been minding her own business. Despite a lack of Quaffle scoring, at this rate, Gryffindor would win purely by wiping out the Slytherin team. Just when I was starting to believe that Vanity was scared of going near a bludger, she helped out her team by finally hitting one at Gryffindor seeker Milo. The Slytherin's luck however wasn't on their side when Alana's bludger hit one of their own, much to Vanity's amusement. Santiago managed to get in another hit on Ignatius just as Milo caught the snitch for Gryffindor, surprising nobody given the state of the battered Slytherin boy. While it's clear that Slytherin needs to do some more work on becoming a real team, it was Gryffindor who showed up to the Four of Wands. Specifically, Santiago. If it wasn't for him, perhaps more of us would still be out buying some snacks as we wait for anything to happen.​ __________________________________________________________ Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff For the second game, I drew the Two of Swords. For those of you unfamiliar with the card's meaning, the Two of Swords represents a tough decision or a choice between two options. As the teams for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff gathered on the pitch, we welcomed some players to their new roles and positions. For the Eagles, Lucy Holland and Lucy Montague both stepped into the role of Co-Captains, with Cyrus Thorne and Magne Kleos joining as new Chasers and Violet Owens-Rosemary as the new Keeper. With such an inexperienced team, it would be very interesting to see how this played out. For the Badgers, Bailey Walden-Cade and Marley Owens-Lee also became brand-new Co-Captains, while Susie Lagowski joined the team as a Beater. I personally wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of one of her bludgers if her arrogance is anything to go by! The moment the game began, Jonah grabbed the Quaffle for Hufflepuff, giving the team a solid start. Unfortunately, the boy has the aim of a Stormtrooper, so the ball quickly fell into Ravenclaw hands. Professor Jacobs made a small appearance on the pitch, which I’m sure was just for moral support, before Marley made the first bludger contact, hitting Ravenclaw's Seeker Savannah. Almost simultaneously, the second bludger on the pitch was utilised by Audrey, striking Hufflepuff’s Seeker Bailey. With both Seekers taking an early beating, the game could have gone either way. Jonah, clearly trying to redeem himself, was quick to steal the Quaffle back, but this effort was in vain as his nerves continued to get the better of him once he reached the hoops. Audrey managed to engage another Badger, this time toward Daiko, meaning Bailey was able to escape unscathed on this occasion. Despite Susie starting the game by flexing her non-existent muscles to her teammates, she was next to feel a bludger's wrath when Lucy Holland sent one flying in her direction and she was unable to defend herself from the impact. It also seemed as though the Hufflepuff Chasers could have used some more practice as Ozwald later attempted to score a goal but seemed to find the hoop too small for his liking. Despite their inexperience, Ravenclaw secured the first goal of the match thanks to Cyrus, quickly followed by Savannah catching the Snitch! This just goes to show that you don’t need years of experience to achieve victory and that perhaps Hufflepuff's display was more a performance than it was an execution of skill. And besides, when it comes to the Two of Swords, there is usually one option that stands out above the rest.​ __________________________________________________________

A TASTE OF HOME​ By Angelo Dela Cruz (Marga) ​

A DEADLY EDUCATION Naomi Novic ​ By Hugo Stark West (Mia) (Goodreads)​

Hello, fellow students! As a first-year student still adjusting to life in New Zealand and at Hogwarts, I've found myself missing home quite a bit. Especially the food. I'm hoping that this article makes it's way to the cooks since I haven't quite figured out how to ask for more rice to be served in the canteen - or hall as everyone likes to call it. Now, one of the best ways to somehow at least feel close to home is through food. We Filipinos love food after all. And today, I'd like to share a recipe that's been passed down in my family: Adobo. Adobo is one of many classic Filipino dish and while you may be wondering why I've chosen this dish, it's mainly because it's the only one I can actually remember fully. Bonus is that it's easy to make. Now, typically every family has it's own twist on the recipe. Some prefer spicy, others prefer it sweet, maybe salty, and then there's those that like it a little more sour. Here is how we make it: You take your pork (or chicken for the Muslims out there) and you put it in a pot. For every one kilo of pork you put four ladles of soy sauce. And then you put vinegar half the amount of that. You get one whole garlic, crush it, chop it, and dump it in the pot. You put pepper - they can be whole or crushed - and put that too. And then you put a pack of bay leaves. Now, I like my adobo sweet, so we put a teaspoon of brown sugar in it too for every kilo of pork. Then you put water, just enough to cover everything. Put the lid on the pot and put it on the fire and voila! When all the water is gone, you have your Adobo! Well, I hope you'll give this recipe a try! And I'll forever be thankful to the school cooks if they manage to make it and it will be very awesome with rice and coke. But to any of you magic folks that decide to make it, let me know what you think when you try it!​ __________________________________________________________

Hello welcome to Hugos Book Club. Before I start today. Let's ask. What would school be like without any teachers? Without Professor Moncrieffe teaching history or potions with Professor Watson It sounds good, right? Especially when the school has a library with every book ever written. Of course, the slight problem is that once you are in, there are only two ways out. Graduate with about 25% of your class. Or die, eaten by one of the hundreds of Malicafaria (AKA mals) that call the school home and hide in every nook and cranny, waiting for unsuspecting students. In this world magic comes at a cost and there are two forms and ways to generate it. Mana, which can be generated through hard and focused work, such as exercise or crochet, and Malia, a dark magic which is taken from other living things. El is powerful, and has all the makings of a powerful dark magician, including a prophecy about how she will end the world as it is known, but being raised by her hippy mother she refuses to let this become a reality, even if everything is trying to push her in that direction. Despite her reputation as a future end of worlds she just wants to get through each day at school alive, which is hard when she has no friends, no alliances, and no one to watch her back in the showers when mals are likely to come out of the pipes. There is also Orion Lake, New York’s golden boy and the complete opposite of El, annoyingly popular and who has made a habit of saving El, twice already, both times unnecesserily. Could they both benefit from the rumours going around that they are dating? Could they actually become friends and make the start of an allience? Then there is also the small problem of the abnormal amounts of mals getting into the school. Oh, and of course, not failing any classes as the magic run school will make sure to punish you with less access to the cafeteria or more dangerous classes if you do. I Loved this book. I actually read it last year while studying to OWLs (or rather to procrastinate OWL study). There are two more in the series. The second one was better than the first as El prepares to graduate, and I will definitely be reading the third one over the Christmas break. __________________________________________________________​

10 WAYS TO KEEP YOUR PET ENTERTAINED WHILST YOU ARE IN CLASS ​ By Finley Mackintosh Baros (Zazz)​

HOROSCOPES​ By Morrie Ayre (Verity)​

We can’t be there for our loved ones all the time, and making sure our pets stay happy and healthy even when we aren’t there is extremely important because sometimes you just never know what they’re going to get into. You don’t want it to be your best things! 1: Mirrors Having a mirror in your dorm room helps your pets stay entertained by giving them something to look at. This works best with Owls or rats as they seem the most fascinated with figuring out who and what it is they’re looking at. It also gives them a friend, because they usually can’t tell it’s the same as them. Watching your pets talk to their new friend is also entertainment for you so it’s a bit of a win-win! 2: Obstacles You don’t need to know a lot of spells to make your room a jungle gym with climbing obstacles and tunnels for them to play in. Especially useful for cats and dogs, having places available for your pets to climb and hide under means they can entertain themselves by exploring and finding new places to hide. Use soft materials for safety so they can’t hurt themselves but also make sure there are harder surfaces for them to stand on. 3 : A familiar friend Pair your pet with a companion of similar behaviour, some pets are social animals, like pygmy puffs, and since they love to socialise so much, you would be better of with two of them. They’re tiny pets, so they don’t take up much room and since they love being petted and held, it also frees up your personal time a little bit too. 4: Music or songs Pets love sounds, the higher pitched in tone the better for most of them. If you have a music box on for them, with sounds they enjoy, they will find this very relaxing. For your toads, try the sounds of rain or a brook, the kinds of sounds they might find in their natural environment. For Owls, rustling leaves or the sound of soft breeze through the tree tops, it will keep them calm and not overexcite them. 5: New smells Introducing new, safe smells, into their environment can be both exciting and fun for your pets. You can try using satchels of different herbs or sprigs of plants to do the same effect. Depends on your pet, you can try different things, making sure you’re paying attention to how they react. For cats, you could try some catnip or if you have an owl, lavender can be really good for relaxing. 6: Your friends If you trust someone to help you with your pets, ask them if they can check in on them whilst you’re away, your pet will enjoy meeting other people and they might even make friends with other pets in the dorms. 7: Handmade toys Making small toys using everyday items, like a ball of yarn for your cat or a shiny object for your owl, allows you to show your pet you care and also to get rid of things you maybe don’t use very often. Pygmy puffs love soft squeaky things you can make with spare fabric and materials. 8: Snacks Leave your pets a treat puzzle for them to solve, like hiding snacks in a sock or under an overturned cup. This works for all sorts of pets, toads, owls, dogs, pygmy puffs! It’s also a great way to keep them engaged and their minds active, especially your younger and older pets. 9: Extra time Spend extra time playing with your pets before your lessons, let them know how loved they are. A tired pet is a happy, well-behaved pet whilst your busy learning spells. Not to mention they have ways of telling the time, if you check in on them on a schedule, you’ll find they start to anticipate you and they’ll be even more excited to see you when you show up. 10: Pet journal Start a journal about what your pet likes, dislikes and behaviours. It’ll help you to come up with better ways to entertain them so that they get to have everything they like and it will let you come up with things they maybe haven’t tried before.​ __________________________________________________________

Aries: I know you live for a horoscope so here it is. You've been struggling this week and should swallow your pride and actually ask for help if you need it. Being a responsible witch or wizard isn’t about pretending to have it all together, it’s knowing when you don't. Taurus: You’re feeling full of bullish confidence this week, and while your gut is telling you to take charge, it might also be leading you straight into a fire of dung. Your guess is as good as mine as to which one, so slow down and check your surroundings before charging. Gemini: You're known for being two faced, but lately it’s like you've got like, this whole tarot deck of faces, and you’re shuffling them at random. My advice is schedule some time with the school counselor this week to unpick whatever is going on there. Cancer: You've been an emotional wreck this week and it's annoying for everyone around you. If you’re going to have another crying session then please go somewhere private because you're putting everyone off their food in the Great Hall. Leo: Looks like your crush can't seem to be honest with you at the moment. Well that truth will surface eventually, so maybe pass them the shovel, sit back and let them dig their own hole. Oh, just make sure not to trip and fall into that hole with them. Virgo: You’ve organised your life down to the last detail and it's now time to get a life, loser. Libra: You have a difficult decision to make and to put it bluntly, get off the fence and make up you're mind! If you don't, that fence you’re sitting on is about to spring up spikes. Either pick a side or get ready for an uncomfortable posterior. Scorpio: You’re all about keeping secrets and you must not under any circumstances share any of those secrets. Keep everything locked away for yours, and everyone else's safety. Thank you and goodbye. Sagittarius: The stars predict a string of bad luck for you this week, sooo good luck with that! Capricorn: You’re obsessed with climbing the mountain of success, but what's the point? The view doesn't get any better up there. This week, just let go and slide back down because what's the point? Aquarius: Oh sweet Merlin, you appear to be missing an entire personality! Has it always been this way, or did you misplace it somewhere? This week perhaps work on yourself before someone mistakes you for a background character. Pisces: No horoscope for you. Seriously, just go away, you're always pestering to know what's going on.​ __________________________________________________________

BY HOOK OR BY CROOK Editors Note​ By Hugo Stark-West (Mia) ​

A huge thank you to the entire Hogwarts monthly team for your efforts towards this, and every, edition of the paper. This semester has been an unusually busy one for us, so thank you for your effort, understanding and support. You guys would definitely be graded as outstanding. To everyone reading, you make the effort worth it. thank you. Finally to Miranda. Thank you for pulling me out of the library and (sometimes literally wrestling) my nose out of a book and getting me to work both on this and my classwork. H+M​

 

[Jonah Edogawa]

Sometimes, Jonah forgot that the school had its own paper. He really only remembers whenever it would come out, and they tend to come out near the end of the semester, so it was pretty easy for him to forget and then remember when the new edition pops out. It was still early enough when he got his own copy, and he sat down for breakfast to read it. Elio's piece was certainly loud and interesting; he was pretty sure it was going to catch the attention of some professors - and it should. He did wonder though, about Magdalene's grading of the clubs. It wasn't like he'd give the Brotherhood an O, but he thought that they deserved more than an A anyway. Besides, it wasn't like she was part of all of the clubs, so he wondered how she was even able to actually grade them like that. It seemed incredibly biased in his opinion. And then he read the Quidditch article. The loss already stung, and it was embarrassing enough that he'd missed his shots during the game despite doing so well in practice. His classmate writing it out like this. It was humiliating. Was that how bad of a player he was? Merlin, he couldn't stay here any longer. He jumped up and left the paper behind as he exited the Great Hall.​

 

[Elijah Edogawa]

Eli was angry. He didn't necessarily like Eoghan anyway, his roommate felt like somewhat of a snob and of all his roommates, he definitely got along with Vikram the best and they didn't exactly have a close friendship. To say he was disappointed in his roommate wasn't even enough because frankly he was annoyed and angry over the way he'd described Jonah as basically the worst Chaser and how his nerves got the better of him. Jonah didn't have nerves when he was in the air and this felt like a targeted piece to upset his brother. Why was his name in the article so much, they didn't need a play by play about the game, every one already knew that lost. He looked up when he saw Jonah leave and he wanted to go after him but he noticed Lumos head out first. It was irritating that the Slytherin seemed to be everywhere that Jonah was so it was hard to get his brother alone, and honestly Eoghan's friendship with Lilith was irritating too, because how could he be friends with someone who is upsetting his brother like her friend is. He glared down the table at Eoghan before getting up and picking up the newspaper. He threw it down in front of Eoghan, "you're an *******, my brother is better at being a Chaser than like 95% of the other teams and he's only a second year. Get your head out of your ass and touch grass," he said before stalking out of the great hall. How could Lili be friends with that person? Who has nothing better to do than bring other people down.​

 

[Eoghan Blyth]

Eoghan had joined the school paper club as a way to try and offer insight to other students about the tarot cards readings and how these may have been reflected in every day spaces, and this semester it had been tied into the Quidditch games. As the second year was sat at the table with Lilith, he glanced up when he heard a familiar voice calling him out. It took the blond a moment to know what on earth Elijah was talking about, but glancing at the paper that was thrown down in front of him, he tried to rack his brain as to why what he'd said had been an issue for his dormmate. "Your brother?" he asked, a small frown appearing on his face as he tried to recall who exactly that was. Before Eoghan had a chance to respond however, Elijah had already walked away, meaning that Eoghan was just left with his own thoughts.

He peered down at the paper once more, thumbing through to the article he'd written, and glazed his way through the words. It must have been Jonah. Eoghan had only ever spoken the truth, and perhaps if Elijah believed Jonah was better than 95% of the other chasers, he would have actually scored a goal. As it happened, the only goal scored by any team member this semester was Cyrus for Ravenclaw, so Eoghan supposed in that sense Jonah couldn't be any worse. Perhaps if the Hufflepuff couldn't take his actions being recorded accurately without shame, he shouldn't be playing for a team in the first place, given that all Eoghan had tried to do was accurately tell the story to those who'd not seen the match. "Perhaps the Two of Swords wasn't about the houses at all," Eoghan mused aloud, returning to his breakfast. ​

 

[Beatrice Grey]

Beatrice hadn't written anything for the paper this semester, as every time she picked up a quill, it felt like the most horrible writing flowed out. She tried to write about things she knew, but between others claiming articles and her lack of similar interests to other students, she had struggled to get a piece in. However, she had yet to read Maggie's piece and gathered a copy of the paper as she went to grab something to eat. She couldn't help but giggle and roll her eyes at some of her sister's thoughts. Maggie was much more comfortable being outwardly opinionated than Bea was, afraid of the backlash from her classmates. The Ravenclaw then turned towards the zodiac signs. Not a big believer in such things before attending Hogwarts, she was starting to approach the idea academically and took in what was proposed about Geminis... until she saw who wrote it. Bea crumpled the edges of the paper before gently closing it and placing the copy back on the stack, frustratedly going to grab something to eat.

 

[Audrey Beauchamp]

Audrey looked around at all the people making scenes about the paper. Second years were so annoying. She didn't know who that boy's brother was but he probably wasn't actually that impressive. "Well," she said, loudly. "I thought it was a good article." It did mention her succeeding at hitting bludgers at Hufflepuffs, so she was preening a little.