Hogwarts Monthly Semester One Issue One

[Ellington Hayes]

Ellington smiled at the students as she walked into the Great Hall holding the newest issue of the Hogwarts Monthly magazine. She wanted to get students more involved with the magazine as a whole. As she walked along the isles of the tables, Ellie periodically dropped copies of the magazine onto their laps, after all, she wanted to ensure that everyone had a copy and was going to read it. She would hang around at the doors when she was finished to ensure that she could help anyone out if they had questions, direct them to the people to talk to and what ever else. She was really excited about this issue and wanted to get things off of the ground as quickly as possible, quite frankly and was happy she had so many hard working people on the magazine because none of it would have gotten done without them. Her editors note was sure to acknowledge that and she hoped that the students took head of it. Ellie dropped the final one of the Professor's table in front of Ava and grinned before walking back down the isles and heading for the doors. They could talk to her on their way out if they wished. She knew that approaching the editor in the Hogwarts Monthly office could be a little daunting, so she wanted to make it easier for everyone if they so wished. "Hey guys, read a copy of the Hogwarts Monthly for all your scholarly updates!" She said waving her last few copies. "We have something for everyone, including horoscopes! Did you ever wonder what happened in the food fight maybe?" She hoped they garnered more interest.
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T H E H O G W A R T S M O N T H L Y: Y E A R 2 4 I S S U E 1

</COLOR></FONT> W E L C O M E H O M E , S T U D E N T S​ </SIZE></SIZE></SIZE></FONT> I​ ​ ​ t seems like only yesterday we were walking through the solid double doors of the Great Hall to be sorted into our houses. For some of us though, it really was! Welcome back to Hogwarts guys! I hope you all had an amazing holiday! It's not every day you get to see your friends and avoid your family members. Not everyone has access to a singing, talking hat! Hogwarts is a wondrous place for all, even those who've grown up in a magical family! Soon we'll all be heading off to classes and sneaking chocolates into our dorms late at night, hanging down in the kitchens and convincing the house elves to hand us a cake or two (or twenty!). Alas, the time to pay attention is upon us and soon we'll be back to exams and homework. I made a prediction last year about who would win the house cup and it seems that I was right! Gryffindor finished off the year with a bang and won the house cup, I'm so proud. I don't really know who would win this year, but my money is on Ravenclaw, you go nerds! I am of course just kidding. Anyone could win, we won't know until next year and that's still so far away! Even though the holidays are officially over now, that doesn't mean that we can't have fun! Student clubs are open for joining now and there are definitely a lot of them! For the Nature inclined kids we have The Wild Patch Club, run by our very own Orwell Brocken, this club is excellent for those who love Herbology. Little romps in the gardens wouldn't be too far fetched with this club and I also hear that Orwell intends to hold a meeting about the state of the Forbidden Forest, good luck with that Orwell, I can't wait to hear all about it! Of course for those more academically inclined there is always Club Academia, another club run by a Hogwarts Monthly staff member; Rhiannon McGowen! Rhiannon is such a lovely girl and I am sure she will do her utmost to help you with anything you should need. Then for the more athletically inclined we have the Quidditch players. Any students can try out for a spot on their house team, but you have to be good with a broom. This years Captains are; Graeme Fergusson for Hufflepuff, Lowan Kickett for Gryffindor, Serenity Dion for Ravenclaw and Vladimir Zhefarovich for Slytherin. If you fancy yourself a bit of a mogul, I'd suggest approaching these guys, of course the tryouts are also open, just remember to ask first if you are a first year. Hogwarts, for many of us, is very much a home away from home and because of this we all know how it feels to be accepted, to see our friends more often than we see our family. We live, breath and sleep with these people and at some point you just get to know someone so intrinsically that they may as well be you. This is why Hogwarts also has a counsellor. Boys and Girls, students and staff alike, please don't forget that Daniel Clairoux lives in the library and is there for us. If you are having problems that you just don't know how to handle, I would definitely suggest a visit to this seal-loving guy as he has a few good clues to help you handle a stressful year. Whether you miss your family, are new to magic, or simply just can't deal with something in the classroom, he is available. First years are also reminded that he will gladly help with finding a club you might like to join and hey, you don't know until you've tried. Maybe, just maybe, Daniel knows what he's talking about. Last but not least I want to talk about the prefects. As always we have prefects at Hogwarts and I'm sure they all go out of their way to help the rest of the students. Joining the ranks of those lovely Slytherin boys and girls, we have Avie Mitchell and Ivaylo Zhefarovich-Dolohov. These boys are probably about as opposite as you can get, but I'm sure Professor Styx knew what he was doing with these two. Trust his judgement students! Secondly we have the overenthusiastically mischief causing rabblerousers of Gryffindor house. Joining the prefects in trying to tame those lion cubs are Jean Snow and Victoire Fontaine. I hear one of these likes the other. Let's see what happens with that shall we? As any good Ravenclaw knows, knowledge is not always the answer; sometimes you need power, a lesson soon to be learnt by these two boys, Jakobe Hitachiin and Damianos Styx. A picture perfect outcome if ever there was one! Lastly, but certainly not unimportant are the beautiful souls of Hufflepuff, left to clean up everyone elses messes when it comes right down to it are Maya Corby and Mason Greene. Good luck you two, you're certainly going to need it. This brings us to the end of our discussion. Of course I can't leave without reminding you that there are once again two Headpeople to watch out for. Dexter Lesley of Slytherin and our very own Rhiannon McGowen of Hufflepuff will be taking charge of the student body. A well deserved honour to be sure. You're going to have your work cut out for you guys, heads up. Get going guys and don't forget to win those house points, it looks like we're going to need them.​ Author: Ellington Hayes​ <i></i>

O F F O O D F I G H T S A N D T H E S Y S T E M​ </COLOR> O​ ​ ​ n a sleepy morning in the beginning of the year, chaos struck the Great Hall, and I don't mean as in Chaos the former third year Hufflepuff, but real chaos struck the Great hall when a food fight escalated to the point of almost all out war. Hogwarts is a mild mannered and calm place, yet, this happened, students threw food at one another, spells were thrown and chants were made. How can we explain such actions, how can we understand why such things took place and why they did. I was there, I was in the midst of the action but perhaps I had different motives than others to believe in the good of throwing the food. There was no food throwing on my part, the food throwing was to me, just a symptom of the anger and frustration that students feel, which is brought on by the stress of classes and of the education system as a whole. Hogwarts is a great school, it will provide it's students with all of the skills necessary to function as good members of society in the wider world, but is that all that's important? Was the anger of the students manifesting itself in a spontaneous food fight against the system, or was that just my doing and really it was students just looking for fun? Students are forced to be under tremendous amounts of stress, the stress of classes, of extra-curricular, of sport, of friends, all of this while trying to do our best in achieving good enough grades to ensure success after school. Students are pitted against one another in the points system, we are treated like children by our professor's some of whom aren't so much older than the oldest students. The system is unfair, it sets itself up so that some of us will fail while other succeed and that our families and life chances will provide greater success when born to the right rich families, and none of this is helped or fixed by professor's, by the head mistress or the overall capitalist system we are being prepared for. Throwing food is one thing, house-elves who are likely unpaid for their labour have spent time making the food that if not eaten will be thrown away, and should it even matter if the food is wasted in the way that it was? After all, the house-elves aren't paid, they may take pride in their work, but until they aren't paid. It doesn't matter what happens to the food, if it is thrown it is not at the expense of the elves' paid labour. I doubt even that when paid the elves would care what happened to the food when it left the kitchens but perhaps students would have more respect for it, because as a society we tend to respect those creatures and people who get paid for the work that they do. We'll say charity is great, but the ideals of society are those with money and rights are to be most respected, and elves have neither of those. Avoiding food fights in the future may boil down to giving house-elves their rights and their liberty to chose to work at Hogwarts and be paid for it. The students united, in their food throwing eventually spilled over into throwing food at prefects attempting to stop it, and one poor professor, well out of his depth. The prefects are just part of the system, they are put in charge to spy on their fellow students and give them into trouble for breaking rules which mean nothing in wider society. Students are just as likely to go out after curfew if there was a curfew or if there wasn't, rules don't stop the determined. Students who fall asleep behind books, get easily distracted or require to talk to someone may be unjustly penalised by patrolling prefects who seek to do their head of houses proud and keep control of the school. But, if the food fight shows anything, prefects don't have any real power, they can stop one or two students, but when you gather many students and join them together in a common cause, they are far stronger than any one prefect. Hence why house spirit can get so intense and even why quidditch is so intense, when you force the students to work together against a common enemy they are stronger, more determined and more likely to win. There are many of us, there are few professors, it is the tyranny of the minority who force us to wear restrictive and non-creative uniforms, that don't allow us to visit our friends in other house, that don't allow us to make our own decisions about whether or not to enter the forest. The tyranny of any minority can be overruled by the majority, that's us, students. It was something we could all see in the Great Hall, when a professor tried and failed to stop what was happening, who was chased away by the power of the students only to get a higher authority, which, had the students believed in their abilities could too have been overthrown. The duel that took part between a prefect and a slightly younger student was inevitable in the chaos and the lack of organisation, of course any movement can not rely on organisation to move forward but chaos can breed greater violence, and the enemy is not nor ever any fellow student even if they are a prefect, we are in this together. Prefects are just a way of making students behave, an ideal of what they should aspire to be because being that will get you a reward. The food fight can be explained by growing frustration towards a school system, or by hyperactivity first thing in the morning, but no what happened to start it, the punishment received was a stark reminder of who is in charge and that although we have no basis in rules against the throwing of food, and there was little damage, all parties involved were punished with a loss of point to make feel shame for their actions and so that the rest of the house can suffer too and act against those who lost points if they so wish. The duel was a valid method by which people were to lose points, but none the less, the points lost for the food fight didn't reflect the nature of the incident. The capitalist system relies on schools like Hogwarts to churn out students with good grades and good sense of society, to fit right back into the system, to create more people who'll just keep the wheels of capitalism and inequality going. The wealth gap will always widen as those at the top chose to invest in their own interests and do not invest in the welfare of those most vulnerable. Hogwarts creates students to fit all the walks of capitalist life, those who'll rise up through the class system and those who will remain at the bottom and unable to further themselves, no matter how hard they try. Those at the top will further their own interests, continue to pit students against one another, continue to pit purebloods against muggleborns, against part-anythings, pit students against werewolfs, some of whom had no choice in becoming werewolves. Those at the top create a system which only suits to further the economic interests of the ruling elite, not of the majority. It is a system that strips away rights to those living in the school making our food and seeks to limit the land for creatures who live in the forest. We should be allowed to express ourselves in school, to have fun in ways that are messy and chaotic, to allow house-elves to paid and for people and creatures to roam free. We should join together, united as one student body against the ideals of a system that pits us against each other, against a capitalist system that doesn't allow us to be creative and expressive. Now is the time to realise the agenda of the ruling class, of the elites within the school. Now is the time to ask why we must be sorted, why we must wear uniforms, why we must follow arbitrary rules that don't even ensure calm. Now is the time to realise the destructive nature of capitalism on our school, planet and environment. Join the struggle! and remember;​ </B> The Students United Will Never be Defeated.​ <i></i> ​ Author: Orwell Brocken​

H O G W A R T S M O N T H L Y ' S B A N N E D W O R D S A N D P H R A S E S​ These spectacular fails of phrases have been circulating the halls since I've come to this school, and how terrible is it to walk past someone who uses, like, like every other, like word? Well this list covers all the words that should not be used out of their original contexts. See how many you can keep yourself from using! Merlin's Whiskers - Merlin isn't a cat. I'm just saying. Like - When I want to say I like something, I do, but walking past teens in the hall using like every other word lowers the IQ of the general populace. It's a place holder, so like, find something else to use! Wh*recrux - This insult is clever, but hurtful! We should be nice, regardless what dark secrets that girl or guy is keeping inside. Transfiguration Flunker - For someone who doesn't have good looks and should have transfigured themselves to look better. This phrase is also super hurtful. Maybe I should have titled the article "Be nice to each other, guys." J.K. - Let's be honest, using text talk in real conversations makes anyone a drab partner to speak to! Patroni - Cleave break up line, yeah? "There is no Patronus, it's just patroni!" Styx - This is a name, not an insult. Just because someone is a sour puss doesn't make them a Styx! So stop using it as one. Bro - Okay so this word isn't magic based, but so many people call everyone their bro, like they even call their wands bro is the spell doesn't come out right. Bae - this follows the same lines as Bro, find a different word this year! Mudblood - Number ten s super important to me and for everyone who isn't a Pureblood. Let's stop using terms like this that insult something no one can help. Let's be nice to each other, find some new vocabulary, and have a great year! <COLOR color="#000"><SIZE size="50">Author: Kimmara Axel​ <i></i>

S T U D E N T S P O T L I G H T​ <FONT font="Georgia">R​ ​ ​ iven: Hi Dexter! Do you have a free moment? Dexter: Sure thing! What's up? Riven: I'm here with the Hogwarts Monthly, and I wanted to congratulate you on becoming Head Boy! How do you think you're going to handle it? Dexter: Oh, thanks! I'm really excited about it, it was completely on expected. I think I'll be fine though, the prefects are all quite amazing, and the Head Girl's just lovely. Riven: Even the prefects that have been involved in the madness so far? I hear one of them were even involved in a food fight and a duel. Dexter: Oh yes, that was really unfortunate. But a little misbehaviour doesn't mean they're terrible people that aren't there to help regardless. It just means they need to remember who they are and their role at school. We're all learning it together, and we're - Rhiannon and I - are quite sure there will not be a repeat. Riven: What will happen if there is a repeat? Do you have the power to demote them? Dexter: No idea! But hey, there's always time to find out. It doesn't really matter anyway, I don't think I'd remove their badges, but I'd certain restrict their patrols. You can't have misbehaving prefects roaming around, after all. Riven: There wasn't a Head Boy last year. Why do you think you were chosen and that you have the ability to be one? Dexter: Well, I haven't gotten into trouble as of yet. I can't pretend to know why I was chosen, and it doesn't do to dwell on the past. I think I was chosen because I will try, and that's what counts. I'm here to support the Head Girl, and to be of assistance to the students and best I can be, and that's all I can do. Just try to be what's expected. Riven: You seem to think quite highly of the Head Girl. Is there a romantic interest happening there? Dexter: -laughs- Oh, no. No, but I do look up to her. We've had the same classes through our time here, and I know that she works hard, and I respect that. She's also answered all of my endless questions and is showing me the ropes. I have a girlfriend. Riven: So all the hopeful singles should move on? Dexter: Didn't realise there were any! They probably should - there are plenty fish in the sea! Riven: No, I don't think there are many, just a comment in case. Dexter: -laughs- Riven: Well...thanks for your time! Enjoy your year, and I hope things get better for you! Dexter: Likewise!​

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iven: Hi Professor Summers! Do you have a moment to speak?
Professor Aeon Summers: Sure! What's up?
Riven: This is your third year teaching at Hogwarts NZ. How are you finding it?
Summers: It's a great experience and I feel really at home here. Teaching Transfiguration is something I love and as a student it was what I knew I wanted to do. It can be a bit stressful at times, but it's worth it in the end.
Riven: What's the most stressful thing you've experienced so far?
Summers: It's hard to pin it to one situation. I think the hardest part is being a father now, and having to balance parenthood and my career.
Riven: Do you re-age yourself to hang out with your child?
Summers: Oh, so you heard about that. No, that isn't something I do. It was a one time thing.
Riven: Oh, so why did you decide to do it?
Summers: One of the other professors and I thought it might be fun to blend in with the students for a while, see what it was like to be a teenager again for a change.
Riven: You were involved with the food fight. Did you get into trouble?
Summers: Of course, if the students involved lost house points it's only fair that we were punished too. I did accidentally flood the Great Hall with jam, so I'm sure you can imagine that the Headmistress wasn't too impressed with me. It wasn't supposed to get so out of hand.
Riven: Why didn't you stop it once you realized it got out of hand? Were you having too much fun?
Summers: I didn't realise it had gotten so out of hand until it was practically over and everything was starting to calm down. I admit I was having too much fun to fully realise. Even a professor can enjoy a food fight. It wasn't the right thing to do and I regret it now, but at the time it was easy to forget about my responsibilities.
Riven: Because you were a 'student' at the time?
Summers: Kind of. I'd say it was very situational. I can't blame it on the youth potion entirely but it was a factor.
Riven: Can we know what your punishment was?
Summers: Nope.
Riven: Awh ok then. Guess we'll just have to continue to speculate! Thank you for your time Professor Summers!​

Author: Riven Faye​

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<B>H O R O S C O P E S F O R E V E R Y O N E​

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ries: Right, let's begin with Aries, I don't have much to say to you Aries, from the look of it, you'll be having some trouble in love, maybe you've not been a particularly attentive partner and things are falling apart, but remember no matter how bad things in love look, if this person isn't for you they aren't for you. Cut them lose and begin living your life, your eyes might just be opened to the injustices of the world, and how inconsequential this one relationship is in the greater scheme of things. There are people being forced in marriages for the purposes of family ties, open your eyes and start fighting back against such archaic practices. Aries, this person may be the one for you, they might not be, think about this objectively, and considering joining the struggle, this might just bring you and your fellow human greater fortune.

Taurus: Taurus from what the stars have been telling me, you haven't been doing well academically, I know most would say that you need to actually put in more work, or perhaps change which subject you're doing so that you'll start doing better, but hey, Taurus it's okay to not be good at academia! It's okay to fail, it's okay to struggle, change classes yes, maybe take some time away from it all, but it's okay to fail at something. Classes are only there to mould you into the perfect student so that you can fit into their perfect machine as soon as you leave school. If you want to do something else, do something else, don't let the teachers ever tell you that you can't pursue your dream Taurus, grab life by both hands, never let people put you down, and consider fighting back against those who tell you that the grades you receive in school are the only way your are going to achieve anything. Do what makes you happy Taurus, help us in the fight against the lack of individuality which school forces upon you. The world is at your feet, don't be afraid to stand out, and fight back.

Gemini: There have been dark clouds hanging over your head Gemini, I fear you've been having a really hard time, it's not been a fantastic few months for most Gemini, friends not been there, family problems, professor problems, but it's okay, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. In our system we are pitied against one another, our friends are pitied against us so that we battle for the top spots and our parents suffer because of the injustice of the system, our professors are only part of this machine that desires us to fit the mould perfect. They are all symptoms of the same problem, and it's been hard for you. You need to step back, you need to do things that bring you joy, you need to be able to join a march and scream about something, just to get that anger out. Join the struggle, help the fight back, and when we achieve what we want, life will be better for everyone. No more dark clouds once you've taken the time for you and the cause, you will have better friends with who share more, you will bring your family joy. Do something different, try something new, rebel and the sun might just shine.

Cancer: As the new term begins, Cancer you've been faced with many decisions to make, which classes to take, which to drop, which ones will bring you the most success and it's just been stressing you out. That's all good and well, and when you've finally made those decisions you'll be able to move forward, at this difficult time be sure to rely on your friends, you'll discover which ones are really there for you and which are not, they will aid you, they will make things easier for you. You will be able to see clearly where each person stands in relation to you, but let's be real Cancer there are greater problems than just the decisions you have to make, if we don't start acting collectively to combat the problems of climate change, none of that will matter. To make sure that the world becomes a better place for you and your friends consider joining the fight back and doing all you can to combat the harmful effects of climate change.

Leo: Good luck, and good fortune have been following you for a while Leo, it's sort of unbelievable. You've been trying really hard, doing new things and these have been paying off in new opportunities, good fortune and new friendships, but this isn't a reason to leave all the other people behind, be careful Leo to not forget about those old and loyal friends. Perhaps even you've been focusing on the wrong thing, only really thinking about yourself, have you considered trying to put this good fortune and success more widely? Being selfish occasionally is necessary, but don't forget to consider those around you, and in all these new opportunities remember that it's capitalism at work creating you into their perfect little subject. Don't be afraid to be bold, don't be afraid to do something that might otherwise be frowned up. Putting your good and fortunate streak into something that needs help will be hugely beneficial to you, and might just bring good fortune and success to those around you which will then be returned to you. Leo, remember the love, and perhaps consider joining the struggle and fighting against the forces that push down and create misfortune for your friends.

Virgo: Virgo, things have seen better days, you've been feeling lost, unsure about what the next step is. Decisions and opportunities keep popping up and yet you have no idea about what to do with any of them, you see the professors in the school, like Professor Styx and you think about how much you don't want to be like him, ending up bitter and angry, but you don't know what your path actually is yet and these decision help nothing. Virgo this is the perfect time to allow your eyes to be opened, use your current confusion, use your moments of wonder to think about what is really happening, to see the destructive nature of capitalism, to see how we are destroying our planet, how children in our day and age are being forced to marry by their parents. Now is the perfect time for you to join the struggle, to join the fight back against the capitalists sitting at the top of the system, against the elite. Don't settle, this will give your life more purpose, more drive, it'll bring you good fortune, new friends and possibly love. Now is the time Virgo.​

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ibra: Libra, you are the sign of equality, and yet you do not strive to help achieve it! You've been busy with new friends, and a new love interest perhaps, but you've forgotten about your studies and about the duties that you have. Learning balance is important and though your studies are not the be all and end all of life, you need to learn to balance between all that you have. You need to remember when you are feeling exceedingly happy with it all that there are people less fortunate, like any werewolf student who fears being found out, or a young muggleborn student who doesn't quite know their place or even the pureblood children forced to marry for the sake of their families. Balance your life, your love and your studies and remember to fight for those who receive injustice because of who they are. Join with others to ensure that muggleborn students are able to study in peace and that Werewolf students know that no matter what that they are loved and supported, and against the families who would seek to force their children to be married. Now is the time to fight for balance Libra.

Scorpio: Scorpio you work hard and rarely get anything back, and it's probably one of the most frustrating things that happens to you. What can be done about it though you ask? Little things really, you don't need to work so hard, you can take breaks, they might yield more rewards. Challenge yourself to do something you've never done before. Perhaps pick up a new language, a new sport, perhaps go outside and instead of playing quidditch head to the gardens and start planting some flowers, do anything that it is unexpected of you Scorpio, it will bring you new air and fortune. Maybe you should consider that the system we live under is imposed upon us by professors and the government who will never truly help you, and you can put in all the work and never get anything back. Perhaps now is the time to not just challenge yourself but also the system. Because only in challenging the system we live in can we ever hope to change things for the better.

Sagittarius: Sagittarius it has been a difficult one, you've been spending so much time on others that you are exhausted, you feel tired and you feel let down because you are doing so much for your friends and family but they are doing nothing for you. You want to yell at them, but you want to be a good friend, it's put you in a difficult dilemma hasn't it, Sagittarius? You need to step back, spend some time on yourself, remember that as much as being a good friend is important so are you. If you want to scream and shout, open your eyes and see the all the injustices which capitalism creates, join the struggle, the world is unfair and it is worth screaming about, vent the anger and annoyance into something productive. The world is an unjust place, take some time for yourself and you'll feel better, and extend a hand friendship not just to those closest to you but to others, to those in need of the hand of friendship, and join the struggle to create a better world .

Capricorn: It is difficult sometimes to read the stars Capricorn, it was especially difficult for you, so many conflicting emotions, happiness over one thing and deep sorrow over another. It's such a roller-coaster for you and you don't know why it's happening, you lean on your friends and family, but you're stuck. Sometimes Capricorn, when something like this happens you just have to make a bold step. Sometimes you have to do something dangerous or unpredictable, you have to be bold. Now is the time to join the struggle, to be bold and join in with something that might help you see clearly, help you move forward and create a better world for yourself and others. The conflicting emotions may never truly leave, but we are all human and it is time to embrace the unhappiness with the happiness, it is time to be bold and to be free with oneself. Once you learn to accept the conflicting emotion and you make the bold steps things will work out in your favour Capricorn you can be assured of that.

Aquarius: It has been a good time for you Aquarius, all of these amazing things have been happening, whether they are big or small all they've done is brought a smile to your face, and smiling is one of the greatest things. You want to keep this going right Aquarius? Well, it's simple really, just keep doing what it is you are doing. You have to work to get what you want, but forgetting about the people who mean most to you would be wrong, be thankful and grateful to friends and family and be sure to express it. Now Aquarius, is the time for action, to pursue that goal you've been putting off, jump in and you might just be rewarded, maybe now is the time Aquarius to put that determined nature to some use in joining the struggle, you need to fight back against the capitalist powers that would seek to destroy our world. All of these fortunes will mean nothing if we continue to allow our lives to be so closely linked with the market and by an elite who don't care. Aquarius go for that thing that you want, and jump into the fight back.

Pisces: Like a fish out of water, Pisces things for you are strange, good grades, and good friends but you don't feel right, you have no idea why. But the answer's pretty clear you need new love and I don't just mean love of a person, you have been doing the same thing over and over, you need to mix it up, perhaps that means you join a new society. You should see the world as it is, rather than seeing in the narrowness of the people you know. Now, more than ever Pisces it is time to put down reading the horoscopes that mean nothing, and consider fighting back against the powers that say that society has to be a certain way, you can do anything you want, don't just settle because society tells you to. Dye your hair, get a piercing, get a tattoo, join us in the struggle and fight back. Let yourself be freed when you finally see all that is wrong in this world. Don't let society hold you back, fight back against society's prescribed norms.​

Author: Orwell Brocken​

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Editor's note: I have to thank all of the wonderful Hogwarts Monthly staff and reader's without who this magazine would not have been written. Special thanks to Orwell for bringing us his wonderful thoughts on the Food fight and to Kimmara for her investigation into the kind of things people say. Also thank you to Riven, without who we wouldn't know what the Professor's thought of the food fight. Lastly I want to thank our newest member, Massimiliano "Max" Moretti for the wonderful layout and designs. You are all so wonderfully hard working.

Ellington Hayes
Hogwarts Monthly Editor​

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Out of Character:

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[Massimiliano Moretti]

Massimiliano was completely new to the school, and the school life as a whole. Having always been personally taught everything he currently knew, adjusting to life within a school was odd. He could use his magic wherever he pleased here, and had a certain amount of freedom he hadn't before hand. Now without someone to look over his shoulder, Max felt very comfortable. He was taking independence to a new level with being in this new country, but after the term ended he would need to find a job and, hopefully, somewhere to stay. Remaining with Clemente just wasn't going to work anymore. His brother was not only stuck remaining in a magic-less area, he also tended to distract Max. The Ravenclaw was more likely to take care of his brother, rather than the other way around.

Having landed a spot in the local school magazine, however, had surprised him. He saw the call, and decided to apply without expecting to be accepted, considering he had basically just walk through the doors. But it all worked out, and now he had something to occupy himself with, and an opportunity to meet people. The other students seemed nice enough, though he had not actually been able to talk to them much. He hoped that changed today as they helped hand out the magazine to the other students at the school. With his long, blond hair tied into a bun at the back of his head, Max smiled kindly as he more-or-less shoved magazines into the arms of strangers.​

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[Orwell Brocken]

Orwell had been pretty pleased with his work for the monthly he had found writing the article about the food fight simple, and he would be sure to send a copy of it back home, and the horoscopes had been a little pointless but he'd pretty much just said what he'd thought at each turn and eventually just related back to his cause which was of course the most important thing. The cause, the struggle, and he really wanted to spread the word, make people see it from his side, understand where he was coming from, maybe they would understand why he fought so much against the establishment, why he wanted to do a protest with his group. Orwell knew he would probably be unlikeable because of his slightly more extreme views than most other, but then again, he was really hoping that this article, and his work towards making people see would mean that eventually others in the school might be swayed to joining the cause, and he couldn't wait to help promote every single event of campaign which his club did.

However today was about the monthly, and he had joined under Archie's suggestion, and it was with him that he walked into the hall. He was holding his hand, rubbing his face into Archie's shoulder because of how tired he felt. He'd been up a lot of the night coming up with his strategies for what would happen at the protest, but it had meant that he was feeling pretty tired, so he was rubbing his face into his shoulder, holding his friend's hand as they made it into the great hall. He then noticed Ellington and waved at her, walking over with Archie and letting go of him to grab a pile of the magazines to be able to hand out, "Here bro," he said handing Archie a bunch of them and then grabbing a bunch for himself, walking in between the the school tables and handing out the magazine, "Hogwarts Monthly! Read all about the Food fight here, read about the fight against the establishment,"
​

 

[Alana Finch]

It had been a while since Alana had headed up to the Great Hall for a meal during the busiest times of day. She'd taken to sneaking to the kitchens, taking food from the house elves who were all too eager to give it away. Today, the Slytherin had woken and dressed early, sitting on her bed and staring off into space until one of her roommates had asked if she was going to breakfast. The blonde had sighed and nodded her head. Now, she was in front of the doors, a small queue of people grabbing a small magazine. Alana felt her breath quicken as she wondered if there was an article about Chaos and Logan. She really, really didn't want to read about that again.

Stepping forward, Alana's hand moved on its own as a magazine was placed in it. She stood staring at the guy who'd handed it to her, forgetting her worries for a while. She'd never seen him around the castle, though that wasn't saying much since she didn't really wander much. He was cute though, and Alana couldn't help but wish that he was in her house so she could stare at him for a bit longer. "Thanks" she forced a smile before dropping her gaze as she headed inside.

Alana scanned the articles, her eagerness to read the news returning as she realized Chaos hadn't made the news. The big food fight had though, and Alana, who hadn't been part of it, read through the article with a smirk on her face as she buttered some toast. Taking a bite, she dropped her gaze to her horoscope. Reading, she frowned. It was completely accurate to what was going on in her life. She'd never put much stock in horoscopes, but now she was reconsidering things.

 

[Archie Renner]

"Bro, you gotta focus." Archie whispered while squeezing the hand that belonged to the leech on his shoulder. He had dragged Orwell into the great hall after they met at the entrance of the Ravenclaw common room and had attempted to wake him up the entire way down to no avail. While this had become somewhat of a staple in both their morning routines, Archie had little time to spend attentively waking his best friend up on this particular morning in spite of how much he wanted to. They had a task that differed from slowly eating breakfast and preparing their tired minds for the day that was of greater importance. Handing out issues of the Hogwarts Monthly was a task that required their immediate attention and also task that required them to instantly wake up for.

Archie stifled the urge to touch his newly formed black eye when Orwell let go of his hand, focusing instead on the task of handing out issues of the Hogwarts Monthly that had brought them to the Great Hall in the first place. "Thanks bae." He said as he took the bunch that Orwell had given him and began handing the magazines out to his peers in every direction he could. He smiled as he held the bunch against his chest with one arm, briefly remembering the last time he had been promoting a club in the Great Hall and how he was now sporting the resulting black eye with pride. "This is so like, fun."
​

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire arrived for breakfast at her usual time, and began eating with a small smile on her face and then was handed a magazine by one of the boys from the quidditch team of her house. She looked at it, the Hogwarts Monthly, she liked reading it, since it was always interesting and kept her up to date on things and so with her morning breakfast and tea she began reading. First starting with the horoscopes out of cheer just interest in it, she didn't believe in it, but it was fun to see how true it was, it was actually a little true in that she hadn't done as well as she'd hoped academically but then also took a very strange turn which wasn't usual in horoscopes, after that she flicked through the interviews and the top tens and the long article about the food fight, which had a definite different nature and message to it than she might've thought it would given that all it had really been was a food fight, but it was the main headliner article that got her attention, after all, she had spotted her name at a small glance and then reading through it all, she felt her cheeks redden deeply, I hear one of these likes the other. Let's see what happens with that shall we? Victoire just wanted to hide, she still sort of liked him, but she didn't want him to know that, how did this girl even know that, had Jean said something, was he the one that supposedly like her? Someone had nominated them for cutest couple in the superlatives and well, Victoire had decided to just not mention that at all since seeing him, since they thankfully hadn't won but now this. Victoire looked down at her plate and focused on eating, realising she could only laugh and hoped Jean would see it the same way, though the blush to her cheeks hadn't faded.
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[Jean Snow]

By now, Jean was growing used to people shoving papers into his hands as he entered the Great Hall. It didn't make him any less happy about it, and the paper arrived to the Gryffindor table in much the same manner that Jean did - in need of a good iron. Taking a seat, Jean barely noticed that he'd sat across from Victoire until he'd had a few bites of pancake. He nodded a greeting to her before continuing to eat in silence. Finally, he was awake enough to glance at the paper he'd been given. Scanning through it quickly, he wasn't interested in reading about the food fight or the character spotlights. His gaze finally settled on the first article, excitement building to see the announcement to the school that he was a prefect.

When he found it, the smile was gone. He choked on a bite of pancake, a coughing fit bringing more attention to him than he'd wanted. I hear one of these likes the other. Let's see what happens with that shall we?  Jean couldn't bring himself to look across the table as he blindly reached for his juice and took a sip, trying to soothe his throat. Eventually, the cough subsided, but Jean's eyes were still watering and his cheeks were burning red, though thankfully people wouldn't know exactly why. At least he hoped they wouldn't. Jean had pretended to laugh off the Cutest Couple nomination easily enough, but this was no laughing matter anymore. Now that his brother was dating, Jean was wanting to keep up. And, he did like Victoire, though he wasn't quite sure how much he liked her. Keeping his head down, Jean began eating again, trying to appear normal.