Hogwarts Monthly: Y34 Issue 1

[Sophie Wilson]

THE HOGWARTS MONTHLY: YEAR 34 ISSUE 1​

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HOLA, AMIGOS​ By: Joshua Toubia​
As they would say in Barcelona Spain, Bienvenidos! Welcome to a brand new school year for many. Or for those newly sorted, welcome to the first year of the rest of your life! Hogwarts cannot carry on its legacy if it weren’t for the fresh young faces that join us every year. And the professors who dedicate their time to molding our young minds to the best of their abilities. They could be anywhere in the world, and instead, they’re here guiding us every step of the way. In addition, I would like to acknowledge two new professors, Professor Mitchell North who teaches Muggle Studies and Professor Robert Kain teaching Charms for the lower years. I’m informed both were once students here just like many of you. How spectacular is that? Young or old. Hogwarts is always home. Professor Kahlo Oswald teaching Astronomy is also a new face that will, unfortunately, be with us temporarily. Long or short term, it doesn’t hurt to say a little hello. I’m right to think they wouldn’t mind feeling well received. On another note, head boy and head girl this year is Gryffindor’s Kauri Tipene and Ravenclaw’s and our very own editor, Sophie Wilson. Perfects report to them if any problem should arise. Speaking of which, appointed prefects this year are; my best friend Alexis Kramer, Analei Louw, Sapphire Michaels, Kira Wolf, Willow Cullen, Mazikeen Roe, Derek Tahana, and Arvel Ayers. See anyone with a badge who is either a prefect or head person. They’re as helpful as anyone of us, except they can deduct house points. Just a little reminder there. If I haven’t bored you out of your mind just yet, the club fair was a success. From the looks of it, I may have come in late but I did size up the crowd. It’s a good thing, with our very own Sophie leaving and many others as well, clubs can be very fun when active. So if you’re hesitant to join, don’t be. You never know what joining a club can lead to, whether its friendship or a future career in writing, you will never know until you take the steps to join.
HALLOWEEN​ By: Juniper Steele​
If you're like me, you ain't actually seen one of these Halloween feasts things before, and maybe, also like me, you didn't even know they was gonna be a thing. As it happened though, Professor Alicastell decided to throw us a party to celebrate the tradition in full blown magical style! There was also a tonne of students that dressed up for this, and I think it's only fair to give them an honourable mention in just a second, but first I think we gotta thank the people involved. We wouldn't actually have any parties like this, or the upcoming Ball, or the Quidditch games, or anything else that the school does that I haven't even heard of yet, without the help of our Professors. Obviously that includes Professor Alicastell since she's really really nice and does a lot of the organisation, and Professor Pendleton as Deputy, who probably puts a lot of time into it too. We should take a moment to thank the Professors who help set up, the Head people and Prefects who look out for all the youngsters and all the elves who make nice food. It's only polite, and I think they did a good job. If you didn't already hear, the winners for the costume contest were as follows: Overall the best costume went to a girl called Rowan who I think is a fifth year, she came as Rapunzel. Hogwarts Monthlies Leda won best magically enhanced, because she was a gargoyle perching on a broomstick all night which couldn't have been very comfy, Hattie Thorne was a very scary ghost, and the Westwick Twins won best couple as vampires. Hogwarts Monthlies Poppy also won most traditional as a fairy, and Professor Summers son Lysander won Most Ridiculous as an Animagus, although I thought that was actually quite cool. Other notable costumes included Head Girl and Hogwarts Monthlies Editor, Sophie Wilson, who looked like she was ready to have a spooky marriage, and Sam Macintosh who's hair was STUNNING in bright red as the Queen of Hearts. If anyone saw Lauren Davenports murderess costume, I think they may have wanted to stay away because her props looked a bit too real for comfort, but there was cute costumes too such as Emma van Houten who wore her hair in piggytails as Anne from Anne of Green Gables. Finally, I am curious to know how long it took Isabella Walden to wash off all that blue make up from her costume of a Wood Creature. Let us know! Thank you to everyone who put in the effort to dress up (I'm not looking at you Elio Zephyr who turned up in JEANS) and if you see your professors or your kitchen staff I would let them know you had a good time so that they will be happier to do it again in the future! That's all from me for now, so we'll see you next semester for some more fun events!
SPOTLIGHT INTERVIEW Kauri Tipene​ By: Leda Layton​
Today we're speaking to Kauri Tipene, current Gryffindor and Head Boy, about his experience within the school. Thank you for chatting to me Kauri and agreeing to do this! You've been here for seven years. What do you think of the professors at Hogwarts? I think they're wonderful! Do you have a favourite? Are there any that you would say teach something pointless? I have a lot of favourites! I guess right now it would be Professor Chamberlin, since I do extra lessons with him, but I also really liked Professor Carter and Professor Pendleton when I had their classes! And Professor Kingsley, of course! I don't know what the other Houses are like, but Gryffindor is always having fun! And I definitely wouldn't say any of the subjects are pointless. There's always value in learning something new! I have qualms about fifth year Transfiguration, I don't see why it's necessary or would be expected of us to kill animals in class, but that doesn't mean that entire subject is a write off, I just think those particular lessons are unnecessarily cruel. The only class I've ever dropped was Astronomy, and that was just because I had trouble staying up late, and kept falling asleep! (Sorry Professor Harrington!) Jerara Tapsell, last year's Head Boy, said that we're only taught the things needed to pass our exams. Do you agree? To a degree. I would argue that the reverse way of looking at it, which I think makes more sense, is that our exams are designed to test us on everything we were taught, which of course could seem like we were only taught things that would be examined. If that makes sense. But I also think it's a narrow way of looking at education. We don't only learn in the classroom, and we don't stop learning just because we finished High School. Yes, Hogwarts only teaches set subjects, but that's just to give us a base to work from. After school, with that solid foundation we got at Hogwarts, we're free to pursue education in any area we want! Hogwarts isn't designed to teach specialisations, that's what our lives after school are for. And if there's an aspect of a subject you're really interested in that isn't covered in class, most of our professors are more than happy to help with additional one on one lessons! It's all about seeing a bigger picture. Do you think Hogwarts method of teaching will ever change? Possibly! Education changes all the time as we learn new things about how people learn, and as advances and new developments are made in various fields of magic. What are you going to do after you graduate? Well I work at Florean Fortescue's for the moment, but in the long term I'm hoping to go into children's entertainment and make educational and fun programming for kids! Obviously in order to be Head Boy, you don't break the rules, right? Are you still going out with Rose Holland? What? That's a very personal question. But no, I'm not. We broke up months ago. The girl gang made a huge mess with their frog spawn soap. Did you help them plan that event? Absolutely not, and I was really disappointed in the entire situation. Are you a suck up? Sorry, I have to be thorough. I don't think so? I'm not sure what you even mean by that. Jerara told me that the ministry has, and never will, do anything in response to those who challenge it. Is that true? I won't pretend to know much about the Ministry, but as I understand it the point of a Government is to protect and provide for the people of the country, so I would have a lot of questions about anyone who wanted to challenge that. Can you give us any inside information on how the Minister feels about students who question their education? I wouldn't know, I've never met Minister Holland. Do you think it's unfair that students are all in different houses and made to compete with each other? I don't think unfair is the right term, but I will admit I'm not a big fan of forced competition. I do love my house, and I do love that being sorted into a house effectively means everyone starts off at Hogwarts with a group of friends ready and waiting for them, even if they didn't know anyone here when they arrived. But I don't know how healthy it is to be seeing people from other houses as rivals, and I hope people can focus on seeing one another as classmates and friends instead. I personally agree with Jerara that it's important to question everything you're told. Do you do that too? To a degree, I think? Part of learning is asking questions, but I think asking too many can lead to a bit of paranoia. It's important to balance curiosity with trust. The people looking after us have our best interests at heart, and keeping that in mind is important. Will you give a speech as Head Boy as shocking as Jerara's was? Or are you a more traditional student? I won't pretend I haven't thought about my speech yet, but I definitely haven't started writing it! Whatever I do wind up saying, I don't expect it'll be along the same lines at all. I've really enjoyed my time at Hogwarts, and I don't have a lot of complaints. I would rather take the opportunity to reflect on the positive, and encourage my classmates to go on and live the best adult lives they can! And finally, what would you say to our readers who think it's a good idea to try to bend expectations and the rules placed on us? It's a really tricky balance, when you feel like the rules are guiding you one way, and your dreams are guiding you another. But rules exist for a reason, and most of the rules here at Hogwarts are all about keeping us safe and making sure we can get the most out of our education. If you're feeling torn, it's always a good idea to talk to an older student or adult you trust, and see what their advice is. They might have a take on the situation you had never even considered! Our Prefects, Professors, Heads of House and school Counselor are all there to give us the guidance we need when we're not sure what to do, and it's always okay to ask for help!

Best Top Ten Wizarding Sweets! ​ By: Samantha Jacob​

Agony Aunt​ By: Anonymous (ooc: Sydney Townsend)​

There are many amazing Wizarding Sweets, that its hard to decide which ones are the best ones to choose from. That’s why, like a lolly lover and fanatic, I’m going to help you pick the best lollies, the next time you buy some! 1. Chocolate Frogs Chocolate frogs are a very popular sweet made from chocolate in the form of a frog. They come with a collectible card of a famous witch or wizard in each pack. The frogs are made of seventy per cent Croakoa. Presumably, this substance is what allows them to act like an actual frog. Chocolate Frogs also come in a white chocolate variety. 2. Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans are one of the most popular lollies in the Wizarding world. These lollies were invented by Bartie Bott, and are similar to Muggle Jelly Beans. They are different to Muggle Jelly Beans because they have every flavor imaginable. They have many flavours in each box. From chocolate to earwax. 3. Liquorice Wand A Liquorice Wand is a wizarding sweet that is presumably shaped like a wand and tastes like liquorice, they may or may not come in a variety of flavours. 4. Fizzing Whizzbees Fizzing Whizzbees are a popular magical sweet made by Queenbee. They are large sherbet balls that will cause a person who sucks on them to float a few inches off the ground. 5. Acid Pops They may be similar to the Muggle lollipops, but like most Honeydukes' fare, they have an unconventional, practical joke-like twist with wizarding magic. They are able to burn a hole in the tongue. 6. Jelly Slugs They are gummy candies that look like slugs and are manufactured by Honeydukes. Jelly slugs are also similar to Gummy worms, but longer! 7. Licorice Snaps Licorice Snaps are magical sweets that will bite anyone who picks them up. They are jet black in colour, like most liquorice, and look a bit like leeches. They are about three to four centimetres long and make a squealing sound. They also have a set of sharp teeth, tongue and do not look like liquorice from the inside. 8. Sugar Quills Sugar Quills are delicate, spun-sugar sweets made to resemble real quills. hey can be sucked on secretly by students in class, as doing so simply makes one look as if they are thinking of what to write next. 9. Butterscotch Butterscotch is a type of confectionery that may also be used in some potions, such as the Dawdle Draught, where it is used to give off an alluring, sweet scent. It is also the prime ingredient in Butterbeer, which tastes like "less-sickly butterscotch. 10. Sound Producing Sweets These sweets enable the consumer to produce noises upon consumption. Some examples of these noises are those of a lion, an elephant, a monkey, and a train whistle.

Dear Agony Aunt, My boyfriend broke up with me and I've felt lost ever since. I'm realizing now how much time I spent with him, and how I haven't been the best friend to my other friends over the past months, even years. But I still also miss him a lot, and I feel very hurt. I don't know how to let go of that feeling and move on, even though I think he already has. Can you help me with some advice? Sad Butterfly Get out of your cocoon, butterfly! You’ve said yourself you haven’t been spending time with your friends, go do that now. It’s a bit sad if your whole life revolves around some boy who apparently doesn’t care that much about you anymore. Give yourself some time to feel your feelings and then reconnect with the other things in your life. Care for yourself, find a new hobby, spend time with your friends. Spread your wings, you’ll get over him in time. Dear Agony Aunt, I may sound bad for thinking this way, but I'm starting to think purebloods aren't the nicest people in the world to encounter...They're sort of mean and act as if the world belongs to them and only them. They look down at others who aren't them, and even more on those with mixed blood. As if they're disgusted that someone with mixed blood breathes the same air as they do. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Am I just as bad as them for glomping them all together? The Not So Bigoted Witch Blood-purity is all nonsense, we’re all witches and wizards anyway, so who cares about your parents? That being said, it does no one any favours to assume all pure-bloods are the same, you’re just falling into the same purist trap! I’d say spend the time getting to know people first, that way if you think you need to curse the pants off them, it’s because they’re a terrible person and not because they’re a pure-blood. Dear Agony Aunt, My brother is a big crybaby. He cries about everything and I'm afraid it will make him get picked on by others. How do I get him to toughen up? We're not in the same house, so I can't protect him all the time. Any attempts to help him get stronger usually just make him cry too. Brother of a Pushover Oh brother, let your brother feel his feelings. You can’t protect him from everything and sooner or later he’s going to need to learn how to handle stuff on his own. If you’ve gotten direct all that tough energy somewhere, I guess you could always take it out on the one’s making him cry, but it sounds like you’re just as guilty of that. Why are you so scared of crying? Maybe you could learn a thing or two from your brother on this one. Dear Agony Aunt, How do I tell everyone in my life I've been lying to them? How do I tell them I've been keeping secrets about who I really am and that if I tell them I'm convinced they're all going to hate me and calling me a monster and just confirm everything I already know about myself? I already tried to tell one person and they didn't react so well, they didn't even let me tell them what I was trying to tell them. I don't know if I could handle another reaction like that. Help? Tortured Teen The simple fact of the matter is that you'll never be happy with yourself until you’re allowed to be yourself. If you’re hiding part of who you are, it’s time to stop, and if anyone has a problem with that, then they don’t get to see the new, real you. If you’re being true to yourself and they can’t handle it, then they weren’t worth your time anyway. If confrontation really isn’t your scene, maybe try writing some letters. The written word is very cathartic, so I’ve been told. Dear Agony Aunt, I like two girls, and one of them happens to be my best friend. I don't ever want to tell my best friend, but what if I regret it in the future and think about the what if's? Am I doing the right thing by not telling her? I like my best friend, but the other girl I like her just the same. I'm confused on what to do. Conflicted In The Towers I think it sounds like you need to be more honest with yourself. I bet if you really thought about it, you’d find you care about one more than the other, and giving that you barely mention the other girl, perhaps you should take a look at your relationship with your best friend. Only way to deal with a what if is to ask the question and get your answer. Besides, I guess if she says she’s not interested, you’ll still have your friendship and someone else you’re interested in. Stop sitting around thinking about your feelings and act on them!

CLUBS AND EVENTS​ By: Nell Wright​

Clubs, clubs, clubs! Hogwarts has a club for just about everyone, and I'm here to tell you all about them! If you've never joined a club, why not give it a try? I'd be shocked if there's anyone left at Hogwarts who isn't in a club though, after the chaos of the club fair! It's never been busier, and I hope all the new club members are having a great time exploring the activities on offer at Hogwarts! To start us off, the publishing clubs! After a fun meeting early in the term, the Hogwarts Monthly staff have been hard at work putting this issue together for you! This is the paper's last year in Sophie Wilson's hands, and things are running smoothly as ever! On the annual side, the staff of Accio had a meeting early in the year as well, welcoming a couple more members to their small team, and from what I hear, things are all go over at the yearbook headquarters! Next to clubs I've yet to fully figure out the purpose of... Heta Omega and the Brotherhood of MAGIC. Heta Omega's new co-presidents kicked the year off in fairly traditional fashion, presenting us with an all new list of big and little sister pairs. (Joke's on all of you though, I've got the best big sister this year!) And from what I hear the Brotherhood's first meeting was along similar lines, with members just meeting to catch up, and share goals they could help one another with. Sounds cute! Finally, the clubs relating to school subjects. The SDA hasn't had an event yet this year, which I can't pretend to be upset about, the dueling matches last year were scary! The Wild Patch club have been busy as ever though, with a delightful flower picking event enjoyed by all! All in all I'd say it's been an excellent year to be a member of school clubs, and if you haven't signed up for any yet, it's a perfect time to give it a try! I'm Nell Wright, and I joined every school club so you don't have to, but I do hope you've found the one or two you want to check out! See you all at club meetings!

SCHOOL CHATTER​ By: Anonymous (ooc: Tina Seville-Lopez) ​

These are things heard in the hallways of Hogwarts. Are they true? Nobody knows. Hogwarts Monthly does not claim any of the stories in this section are true and unbiased. Watch the Full Moon they say, it’ll be fun they say Some say full moon is a romantic scene and some say it’s just plain bad luck. But for a certain Slytherin seventh year, full moons are bad juju for him. People from his house were getting suspicious of his whereabouts at night when the full moon shines down. And who could possibly walk around the next day like nothing happened? That’s full of ojo right there. I suggested you all get an egg and rub it all over you to get all those bad jujus out of your system. Let’s play Family Feud Feuds among family members are totally normal, Jane Doe stole Jane Doe II’s favorite shirt and whatnot. But to the Holland clan, they take the game to the next level. A fight broke just right the start of term, some say it was Alice Holland’s fault but who are we kidding here? Alice who’s sweet and kind, she can’t even hurt an ant let alone a family member. But theories had come why the fight broke, jealousy perhaps? Everyone who’s present at the fight of the semester says they heard Eric Holland, Alice’s cousin, scream that the other Holland family abandon the other. What’s that smell? Smells like jealousy in the air. You’re just now informing people about this now that their mother is the Minister? Eric, dios mio, you’re as fake as everyone here. School Slash MGM Grand Eric Holland our resident troublemaker has done end up on this issue of Hogwarts Monthly twice. Seriously, Eric, take a day off. But guess what, this isn’t about his family. According to sources, everyone that goes to class with this boy and a girl name Sydney Townsend would know much about their feud. Yes, another feud (Call que on Steve Harvey, please). First a feud with his family and now to his fellow classmate, I’m sure Sydney didn’t start it or maybe the two has some secrets they’d rather keep it until their last breath? Who knows? But I’m betting it’s toward romance. Ms. Merry Sunshine No More I know, we all try to be a model student and what not but we also have some bad traits on us. For example, Alexis Kramer; Ravenclaw Prefect, who seems to get into the boys lately. I mean there’s nothing wrong with that but the lady has a beau. Xavier Mackintosh, Hufflepuff 6th year, what would he just say to these sight seeings? According to sources, Alexis was first seen with the Corelli boy, but to think about it there’s 2 Corelli's inside the castle. And just recently, apparently her best friend and housemate, Joshua Toubia was seen kissing her. This, guys, wasn’t lucky. They got caught by the SO, a fight broke and some nasty points were taken off. From Rags to Riches, Maybe? I love stories like these, up lifts my soul but not every stories has a good ending nor start and middle in it. I just want to ask a certain seventh year Ravenclaw boy how can he like a girl like the younger Ravenclaw he’s seeing? Can anyone explain that to me, seriously? The girl is thin, white as a snow and her face needs some cosmetic work. Girl, I would recommend this salon in France but the question is, could you afford it? We already know the answer, girl. Of course not. Once whatever magic you did to this handsome guy wears off, who are you to him?

HOROSCOPES​ By: Poppy Perkins​

Aries (March 21 - April 20) No holding back! Your time is now to start a new adventure and show the world exactly what you’re made of! Don’t fight the feeling or bother toning yourself down, you’ll simply come off as passive aggressive and no one needs any of that! Taurus (April 20 - May 21) Hold on tight, because it looks like chaos and radical change may be on its way. But don’t worry, with your grounded nature will help you take these challenges in stride! Only if you remember to keep an open mind, which I know does not come easy for you. Gemini (May 21 - June 21) Trust your gut! When facing obstacles try not to overthink, and use your intuition. If something doesn't feel right, change it! You may feel like no one is paying attention to you but don’t be dramatic. Before you act out, try finding a new way to express yourself. Like a hobby. Cancer (June 21 - July 22) It’s time to focus on you! It’s ok to keep your emotions to yourself but be ready if you are unexpectedly exposed. And it’s never a bad time to learn how to love yourself and others just as they are. Leo (July 22 - August 22) You are usually the center of attention, just the way you like it, but it makes it hard to hide your true feelings when going through big changes. Focus on your personal relationships but don’t worry if they don’t treat you like the center of the universe. Virgo (August 22 - September 22) Your practical nature is what will lead you to succeed! By creating an inner balance between head and heart will lead to less conflict and help you accomplish goals. Unfortunately you can’t blame any unfinished projects on the stars, they are on your side. Libra (September 22 - October 22) Now is a time for self-reflection. Especially when it comes to friends. Can you be yourself around them? If not, move on and be yourself. It can be hard to be true to yourself and not change yourself for others, but how else will kindred spirits find you? Scorpio (October 22 - November 21) Focus on your passions and dreams, some of them may come true soon! Keep working toward your goals but make sure to take time for yourself as well. Don’t be shy about your accomplishments either, you deserve to be celebrated for your hard work. Sagittarius (November 21 - December 21) Be open to learning valuable lessons along the way and remember to keep an open mind! After all you never know when you’re going to need to use what you’ve learned in stressful situations. Capricorn (December 21 - January 20) Sometimes it can feel like the world is on your shoulders. Don’t feel bad if you have to let some things go, follow your intuition. Besides no one knows what's best for you better than you! Aquarius (January 20 - February 19) Change for you might be slow for you so it can sneak up unexpectedly. Pay attention and take things seriously, but not too seriously. It is best just to be honest and direct. Pisces (February 19 - March 21) It can be hard for others to figure you out but make sure to keep in touch with yourself. Your positive outlook and ability to care for others is admirable. Stay true to yourself, even in hard times.

QUICK QUIDDITCH GAME​ By: Sophie Wilson​

Students and staff alike headed over to the Quidditch Pitch to watch the newest Quidditch game, the first of the season. The season was kicked off with Ravenclaw playing against Hufflepuff. One of the Hufflepuff chasers got the quaffle and failed to make a goal. One of the Ravenclaw players grabbed the quaffle, but just as she attempted to score on the other side of the pitch, the match was cut short by Hufflepuff's seeker getting the snitch. While this was a happy occasion for Hufflepuffs and people who are bored of Quidditch, there was undoubtedly some disappointment about this short match.

"What's one thing you like about your House?"​

___________________________​	___________________________​	___________________________​	___________________________​
Tina Seville-Lopez Slytherin First Year "My house being diverse from gender to ethnicity. It makes a great house if everyone unite."​	Ren Lockwood Gryffindor Second Year "The only thing I really like about being in Gryffindor is that there's a great view out the windows. Otherwise, it's just too far away from Hufflepuff."​	Lily Lockwood Hufflepuff Third Year "Who, me? Oh, um, Elliot? No, I mean, I guess I really, ah, really like how the common room is so comfy and warm?"​	Jigoku Arai Slytherin Fourth Year "I like how the head of house runs it. Very stern and honorable."​
Analei Louw Hufflepuff Fifth Year "Most people in Hufflepuff are generally friendly and aren't afraid of hard work and helping out other people."​	Edmund Westwick Ravenclaw Sixth Year "That nobody there stops me to ask stupid questions."​	Tomas Wode Gryffindor Seventh Year "I guess one thing I like about Gryffindor is the fact that each year we seem to care less and less about house points, and more about having a good time with our friends regardless of what rule needs to be broken to have said good time."​	Professor Bryce Chamberlin Divination Years 5-7 "I loved my time in Ravenclaw, because it felt like home! I met some of the best people there!"​

Editor's Note: With this issue I kick off my final year as editor for Hogwarts Monthly. I would like to thank everyone in the club who has helped me put this thing together. A special shout out to Joshua Toubia, who is taking over the role of assistant-editor for this year. Editor: Sophie Wilson​

 

[Kira Wolf]

Kira sat at the table, reading through the paper as she ate her cereal. She saw her name as prefect but brushed it off. Caelan sat next to her, though she hadn't checked to see what he was doing. She read through Agony Aunt but skipped the horoscope. She nearly skipped the gossip section, but paused as something caught her eye.

She read through the article, feeling her heart twist a little in her chest. "Oh," she murmured sadly, staring at the words a moment before setting the paper down. She bit her lip, uncertainty and doubt rattling through her mind. "Well, that makes your mother, your family, and the entire school." She sighed, stirring her cereal around in her bowl. "Maybe you would be better off with some gorgeous, well to do seventh year."

Not that Kira was poor, exactly. She wasn't rich, but with the Inn her family was pretty well off. Nothing compared to the Maxwell's. The family was power and prestige and titles. She stared at the milk in her bowl, not looking to Caelan.

 

[Alexis Kramer]

Alexis was sat in her spot in the Ravenclaw table. She did not care if @Joshua Toubia was not exactly speaking to her, she still sat beside him. Despite what happened, she still considered him her best friend and she wanted to read the paper beside him, especially that this was his first year as assistant editor. "Hey, congratulations on the article.", she softly said, glancing at the boy beside her. She sighed although her heart swelled on the special mention he did on her name as prefect. She was about to scan the rest of the paper when she saw her name again on another article. She double-checked the title. She read the article again and again, taking in the details. She was even shocked about the Corellis, whoever the other one was. She knew Kace but only him. Putting down the paper, she sighed before looking up to look over the Hufflepuff table where @Xavier Mackintosh sat. They had exactly spent time together ever since what happened in the towers. She was now hesitant to attend the Yule Ball.​

 

[Jenna Toubia]

Once in a blue moon, Jenna would read the HM only to see what Joshua was up to in that club. Most of his writing was straight-up cheesy, he was interested in writing investigating journalism. From what she read so far from him, it’s been anything but detective work. Jenna doesn’t know why he bothers with HM if he doesn’t get to explore that style of journalism. What a waste of time. Jenna won’t press him about the topic. Jenna read through his cheesy headliner, at the very least he was bold enough to write a greeting in Spanish. Jenna skim through that and went straight to the school chatter. “Que es esto? This is new,” Jenna took her time with this section, so there was a werewolf on the loose and the Hollands have drama. “No different from any other family,” she says, wondering what Diana thought about this smear. No comment on the crazy lobo running around the dungeons. Then Jenna nearly drops the monthly, reading the drama with Alexis and two Corelli boys? Two Corellis?! This can’t be, eso no puede ser? “Whoever wrote this chisme is wrong, and Baron does not like Alexis!” Jenna balls up the monthly and threw it in a random direction. Whatever is happening between Alexis and Joshua is not her concern, confronting them about it will be her believing the garbage written.

 

[Joshua Toubia]

Hogwarts Monthly was fresh off the printing press, and Joshua Toubia read his paper in silence. Alexis was for some unknown reason sitting next to him, which he thought was a terrible idea. Joshua ran his tongue over his bottom lip, it was healed thanks to the healer in the Hospital Wing. Out of habit, he would lick as if the cut was still there. Its ghostly reminder made him more against Alexis sitting beside him. Joshua nods, thanking her and getting up from his seat. “The situation was my fault and not yours, but, I’m sorry Alexis. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to be sitting near you,” Joshua lowly speaks and moves to leave the great hall. He rather avoids the trouble an advance before rear its ugly head. And then there was Yvette, as soon as she gets a whiff of this there no telling how it will be like between them. Joshua may have potentially lost any chance with her now.

 

[Alexis Kramer]

Alexis was just about to get up from the table when Joshua beat her to it. She just listened when he said something about not good sitting next to her. She knew it was his fault but she could not hold it against him. He said it himself that he wanted to know something for himself. She would give him credit for that. Throwing caution to the wind, she stood up, ignoring the looks of their housemates and caught up to him by the foot of the stairs. Stopping in front of him, she gave him a soft smile. "It's your fault, I know. But should it be like this? You're still my best friend. You always are. That won't change.", she reached for his hand. "I hope you got your question answered and feel better about it, Josh. If... that kiss. If that kiss was the way for you to know what you need to know, then I hope it made you feel better." The prefect gave his hand a final squeeze before she turned away and made her way for the lake to be away from everyone.​

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda was always excited to see the next Hogwarts Monthly issue be released, and once it did she grabbed her own copy and took a seat at the Slytherin table. She was happily munching on some toast, giggling at her own article especially, when her eyes paused on an anonymous gossip section. She knew someone in the team must have written it but she didn't know who, but as her eyes scanned over the thought that said there was a particular seventh year Slytherin boy seemingly connected to the traits of a Werewolf, she lowered her toast to her plate and peered further along the table. There were only a few people they could be referring to, but she had a nervous feeling they were talking about one of her friends. She'd never had reason to suspect it before, but what if it was him? Sometimes he did seem shattered, although she put it down to his studies, it was strangely regular. The red head got up from her seat, and began her hunt for the blonde.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair was not heavily invested in the Hogwarts Monthly. He skimmed the issues whenever they came out. The general going ons of the school, or all the romance drama simply weren't things he was interested in reading about. with the only page he'd ever read in-depth being the horoscopes, or the response to his own submission to Agony Aunt, whose advice he'd still not taken. It was easy to follow on paper, but less so in practice. That submission had been forever ago now, and though risky as it was, the lycanthrope had assumed that was the last of it. No one had seemed bothered by mention a werewolf in their midst, and that was fine by him. It had meant he could continue on the way he was going, keeping his head down until he could graduate and go out on his own. A lone wolf, so to speak.

Taking a sip of his tea, 'Stair's eye caught mention of a full moon towards the end of the article. It wasn't entirely unusual for witches and wizards to mention moon phases outside of the context of lycanthropy. It was important for some forms of magical practices, such as potions and divination, but any mention of the full moon hooked him all the same. As he read on, the teenager grew pale, and almost spat out the steaming beverage from his mouth. Instead, he choked it down and took a deep breath. The page hadn't mentioned him by name, but to him, it seemed all too obvious as to who it was about. There were only so many seventh years with peculiar nighttime routines. He couldn't entirely understand the tone of the article, and what on earth all of the mention of juju and rubbing eggs really meant, but by the time he'd finished reading, a feeling of unease had settled over him. Purposefully, he lifted the newspaper higher and practically buried his face into it, pretending to be completely engrossed in the minuscule few sentences describing the latest Quidditch match.​

 

[Aciano Fields]

Aciano bit into a fresh apple, chewing in content while he read the latest issue that newspaper club had produced for the ending of this semester. He wasn’t one to care much what was written in the articles, the boy skimming through most of the nonsense and taking a peek at his horoscope. It read: It can be hard for others to figure you out but make sure to keep in touch with yourself. Your positive outlook and ability to care for others is admirable. Stay true to yourself, even in hard times. Aciano wasn’t one to take advice from a newspaper but for once he’ll entertain the thought to care for someone else that wasn’t blood-related. The boy took another bite from the crisp apple, how badly did that backfire on him when he cared about a friend back at his old school? Aciano chews almost mechanically, he finish off the apple and tosses it away.

His eyes roam to another section of the newspaper, he reads the school chatter. Aciano hears someone down the table almost choking up over something. He notices the noise was coming from Alistair, Aciano squints his eyes at the other teen. He was reading a copy of the newspaper too. Aciano turns back to the chisme written, and he understood completely reading through the first gossip. It was about Alistair, it can very well be about him as well since he shared some of the symptoms with a werewolf. Que basura (what trash) the teen though as he disposes of the paper. Whoever wrote that must be drinking santeria wax, get out of here with that juju mess. Aciano stood up and walks unbothered over to Alistair, “Don’t read much into it, whoever wrote this sounds like a loony” Aciano advice him, his lips twisted in a smirk.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Alistair almost jumped out of his skin at the sound of Aciano's voice. He hadn't heard him approach, so engrossed in trying to ignore the table around him as he was. The prefect wanted nothing more than to get up from his seat, walk out of the Great Hall and get some fresh air to calm his nerves, but the thought of drawing attention to himself had him glued to the spot. Reluctantly, he lowered the newspaper from his face and peered at his dormmate with a look of resignation. "It's hard not to when everyone here is literally reading into it." He sighed, giving a cursory glance to the other students in the hall with their own articles in front of them. "I didn't ask for this. I just want to get through the year and be left alone." He paused, flipping back through the article to try and see if he could pin-point whoever had published the gossip, but alas, their name had been redacted. They certainly felt confident sticking their nose into other peoples business when they could hide behind anonymity. "Who on the Monthly seriously thinks that this sort of thing is okay to publish? Don't they have anything better to write about?"​

 

[Leda Layton]

It didn’t take long to find the blonde Leda was looking for, and despite the fact he was talking to another student, the sixth year didn’t let that bother her. She hadn’t heard what they said, but wanting answers, the red head walked up to bench opposite Alistair, and slapped her own copy of the Hogwarts Monthly in front of him. Some may have thought it had been her article, since she had recently been making a habit of asking more questions that most felt comfortable asking, and school gossip was certainly entertaining, but the frown on the Slytherins face said otherwise. “Two years we’ve been friends, but you just happened to leave that out didn’t you,” she crossed her arms over her chest, wondering why the boy hadn’t bothered to include her with knowledge as important as that. Someone had noticed and figured it out before her and once again she’d been left in the dark as long as possible. She didn’t even question that it was another seventh year, now that she thought about it, the signs were all there. Leda hoped the other boy wasn’t about to get involved with her, this had nothing to do with him. She’d expected more from Alistair. It was bad enough that Olive was keeping things from her, she didn’t need her friends doing it too, and it just reinforced the idea that she wasn’t good enough yet to know.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe was surprised when she skimmed through the school paper and saw they had added a section for what was basically school gossip. She had always thought that was basically what the school newspaper was anyway, but had expected Sophie Wilson to take it too seriously to actually admit it. She read the first point and raised her eyebrows. Why would someone allow this to be published? The implication of the piece was clear, and while Phoebe was curious who it was about, she felt like it was in poor taste to even suggest anyone was a werewolf. With how they were sometimes treated, it was pretty damaging to just out someone like that. But her brain couldn't help working on the problem, and there weren't that many seventh year boys to choose from, and it wasn't hard to figure out who fit the description most. Abandoning her paper at the table, Phoebe started to head to the Slytherin table. She felt bad, but her curiosity won out. And if she could see Alistair's reaction to this, she had a feeling it would confirm her suspicions. As she approached the Slytherin table, she could tell Alistair wasn't looking pleased, but as she moved closer she realized another girl had already decided to ask him about the article. But she wasn't being very nice about it, and Phoebe couldn't help snapping at her. "Hey, maybe you shouldn't speculate loudly in a public place about things that don't concern you." She told her with a frown. "Especially if you're such a good friend." She was aware that it was a little hypocritical to say that when she had been about to talk to Alistair too, but at least she wouldn't have made it a confrontation. As if this wasn't difficult enough for him. She didn't think Alistair owed anyone that sort of information, but maybe that was easier to say when you weren't that close.

 

[Willow Cullen]

Willow entered the great hall it was breakfast time and she was looking forward to bacon and eggs. and toast. she had been up late the previous night on patrol and was going to need a strong cup of coffee to wake her up. as she sipped on the brew she saw there were piles of papers on the table. it seemed today was the day that the newspaper was released. she picked up a copy and scanned through it. she was mentioned as one of the new prefects which was cool if not very much expected.
she kept reading flipping to the horoscopes. she read hers. not because she believed in it or followed it at all but she found them funny. she then turned to the gossip. the first tidbit was the most interesting thing in the paper. another werewolf at the school, this on in Slytherin. she said another as by now she suspected her potions professor was one after his weird behaviour a few weeks ago but she hadn't found a way to confirm. She looked accross at that house table. trying to think of which slyherin seventh year boys she knew. was sure she knew some but it was too early to think of who. she would try andremember and track them down some time. she wanted to check if the rumours were true and let them know that she had their backs no matter what if they were. she remembered stories of when her mum was at school and a rumour like this, if not slightly more blatant had circulated. that was what had made her the loud and prominent werewolf rights activist she was today. with her parents being who they were she could almost be the subject of a similar rumour. with her high meat diet and energy fluctuations at certain times of the month. not as dramatic as an actual werewolf but a bit of a side effect of being born to one, well two but she was pretty sure it was more a side effect from her mum being pregnant than her dad.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

Stair had barely finished speaking to Aciano when the sound of paper slapping against wood interrupted him, and he found himself staring at the accusatory expression of a familiar redhead. Her words did nothing to help the situation he'd found himself in, but instead of growing increasingly worried about what other people were speculating, he quickly became angry. It wasn't fair to have this drama suddenly dropped into his lap, when he tried so hard to just do his own thing and ignore everyone else, and it wasn't fair to have someone he thought was a friend act as if she were entitled to know about his condition. Did she not understand how difficult it was to deal with, let alone talk about? "It must have slipped my mind." He cut back shortly, a bitterness to his tone. His hands tightened around his mug of tea for its comforting warmth to combat the shiver running down his spine.

As if someone had taped a magnet to his back, another person was attracted to the slowly expanding group around Alistair, who now regretted not leaving the Great Hall sooner. A sense of claustrophobia crept in, and he took a deep breath to settle his nerves. He hadn't expected Phoebe to come to his defense, and couldn't help but imagine her looking up werewolf repelling charms later to use against him in their next duel, but he shot her a small smile to let her know he appreciated her words all the same. Had she actually caught on too? Had everyone? Either way she wasn't wrong, it didn't concern anyone but him. "Why are you acting like this is a revelation, Leda? Don't you write for the Monthly? Do you know who wrote this drivel?" He asked her with a frown, eager to know if she knew who was behind writing about him. He didn't know what he'd do if he did find out, but he didn't want to let them get away with it. The werewolf lowered his voice, unwilling to draw any more attention than he already had, or to outright admit to what he was to the people who hadn't caught on. "I thought you were a reporter. Didn't you read about the Pipers in the Prophet a couple of years ago? About what they did to people like me?" He asked her, his voice growing more strained with each word, while he fought back the tears stinging his eyes. This wasn't fair. In a world where werewolves were hunted down for things beyond their control, he couldn't be expected to so casually divulge his secret. "I don't want to die, so forgive me for not going around and telling everyone I know." He finished, lifting his mug to his lips. He didn't need to drink, if anything his throat felt too tight to gulp any of the liquid down, but he felt the need to hide his face so that the angry tears he'd been holding back could finally fall, and that cursed newspaper no longer felt like a viable option.​

 

[Leda Layton]

Leda has specifically mentioned what she was talking about when she’d make the accusation, nor was she talking particularly loudly, so when another student joined her at the table, the redhead turned her nose up at her. Why did she think she was in a place to tell Leda what she could and couldn’t do? “Who even are you?” She asked, looking the girl up and down. She had seen her around but she wasn’t a student she knew the name to the face. The Slytherin turned back to the blonde to see him getting angrier, like he had a reason to be. She was the one that was affected by this, not him. “Of course I don’t know. I’m not the Editor, and it wasn’t me,” She didn’t know whether Sophie knew either, but that hardly important. The point was that there was information that hadn’t been shared. Her frown deepened when Alistair tried to defend himself. While she’d heard what happened to Werewolves if they were discovered by the wrong people, why in the world would she be considered the wrong person? Her own eyes were stinging too when she considered the fact someone who she thought was her friend didn’t even trust her enough with information. “Obviously you don’t need to tell everyone. Not everyone is worth telling,” she stole another glance towards the girl beside her, “But I would have thought telling someone who could have actually helped you, wouldn’t have been a bad idea.” She crosses her arms over her chest. Did he really think she could have been a reason that a Werewolf would lose their life? She was very serious about being a reporter, this wasn’t just some project she was working on in her spare time. Leda was select about information she shared, and to whom, she wasn’t some child who was about to throw it around willy nilly.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe was glad to hear Alistair defend himself, though she was a little startled that he sort of confirmed it by talking about it. She remembered that bit in the paper a few years ago, mostly because it had really upset her mother at the time. This was right before she had become minister, if Phoebe remembered correctly. She scowled at the girl, who even after Alistair very clearly laid out his reasons for not talking about it, seemed to think she was entitled to that sort of information. "I'm Phoebe Holland, who are you?" She asked her, crossing her arms. "Besides clearly someone too nosy for their own good. What sort of friend feels entitled to information like that? And once they see something like this only worry about themselves instead of the person they're supposedly friends with? Don't you think Alistair has other things to worry about right this second than your hurt feelings?" She glanced at Alistair. "Do you want me to hex her? Could use some practice." She said, though she doubted he would want her to. She just wanted him to know she was on his side, even if their relationship was mostly built on a duelling rivalry. Phoebe could just imagine quite easily what it was like to be outed for something she had no control over and that others might find weird. And the way this girl was behaving was infuriating her, especially when she knew prejudice against werewolves was still very real. She didn't think this girl was prejudiced, just very selfish and childish.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

If it hadn't been for Phoebe talking sense, Alistair was sure he would have thought he was the crazy one for not telling Leda sooner judging by how upset she was over not being privy to his condition. In what world did people feel entitled to knowing every little detail about someone else's life? The blonde looked side along at Phoebe when she offered to hex Layton, and for a brief moment it seemed as if he was seriously considering agreeing, but he shook his head and glared back at the younger girl. "How could you help me, Leda? No one can help me." He responded, no less angry than before. He seriously doubted a sixteen-year-old girl could do anything more than the adults who claimed to be able to help him, who had researched his condition and weren't able to do anything about it. "I didn't want to tell anyone. No one knew, Leda. It was my secret to keep, so what makes you think you're so special? You don't know what its been like. You could never understand what it means to live with something like this. I'm not prancing around the forest under the light of the full moon. It's a living hell, every single month. "

It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his voice low with how much he wanted to shout at her, to just scream how wrong she was. Was she really his friend if all she cared about was knowing all of the gossip? "You try living your life with the Ministry assigning you your own classification because of how dangerous and unstable you are, or with Professor Styx teaching classes specifically about how to identify and combat you." As much as he was trying not to completely fall apart in the middle of the Great Hall, Alistair couldn't hold back the tears in his eyes, and his cheeks grew damper as they rolled down his face. He raised his sleeve in an attempt to wipe them dry as inconspicuously as possible. The whole situation was humiliating enough as it was.​

 

[Willow Cullen]

at the sound of the commotion from the slytherin, table willow knew that not only that the rumours were likely true but that the boy reacting was the person it was about. Alistaire. she was a little supprised. She knew the boy from duelling club and had never had that much of a suspicion about him. and she thought she was good at picking up things like that. she put the paper down and finished her bacon. she was not going to and talk to him now not when he was clearly getting a lot of attention already, especially with leda there, she was not going to give the girl any more reasons to spread rumours about her. and well her family was a good reason for her to spread them, even if she was only a 'half-werewolf' as she jokingly thought of it to herself. she didn't want the effort of having to explain things and have to deny rumours that weren't true. But she know how something like this effected people. she had been brought up knowing that outing someone was a big nono. looked at Alistair again as she chewed on her toast she would make sure to talk to him next time she had half the chance.

 

[Leda Layton]

Phoebe had no idea what she was even talking about. This didn’t concern her and the girl was trying to meddle in things that didn’t warrant her attention. She probably just liked the drama like her sisters. Leda ignored the Ravenclaw, glaring instead at Alistair who was at this point crying in the middle of the hall. The sixth year was furious however. Everyone wanted to keep information from her, and she didn’t understand what else she could possibly do to get them to talk to her. She could only prove herself so much before she exploded. “Who do you think you are? Professor Styx teaches us that to protect ourselves, that doesn’t mean we expect the same dangers from our own friends. Perhaps it escaped your mind to think that it’s more dangerous for us not to know, that being oblivious to what you are actually puts us in a worse off position. No, you keep your secrets, you hide around pretending like your problems don’t exist and maybe, just maybe, they’ll go away on their own,” Ledas eyes were burning as she glared at the Slytherin, not caring who was listening or staring. Her body was rigid as the adrenaline ran through her, “Why can no one get it through their heads, that they’re not the only person in the world,” she uttered, before turning on the spot, and hurrying out the Great Hall, once again feeling like she needed to up her game if she ever wanted to be recognised properly.

 

[Phoebe Holland]

Phoebe wasn't usually a very sentimental person, but seeing how upset Alistair was was making her sad too. She couldn't believe the nerve of this girl, as she still seemed ready to argue even after Alistair laid out his reasons so clearly. Did she realize that her confronting him here in a public space was only outing him more firmly? Did she care? Phoebe was aware that she had added to this by approaching him as well, but at least she hadn't actively made him more upset than he already was. The girl said something about it being dangerous not to know, and Phoebe grabbed her wand, ready to hex her for that comment alone. But she ran off quickly, and Phoebe glared after her. Alistair was crying, which was only causing more people to stare in their direction. Leda had definitely not helped his case. Still holding her wand, Phoebe decided a diversion may be necessary. It would take the attention away form Alistair, at least for now. Pointing her wand at the Hufflepuff table, Phoebe uttered a quick apology to the Hufflepuffs peacefully eating before she blew up a basket with bread in it, using Confringo. There was a loud boom, and bread flew through the air, landing on people and on their plates and even in a few glasses of pumpkin juice. "Go." Phoebe hissed to Alistair. She hoped this would be enough to cover for him and make at least a few people forget the confrontation.

 

[Alistair Lancaster]

The lump that had formed in Alistairs throat made it difficult to breathe, let alone speak, so when he found the words to respond to Leda, they came out strained. "So the truth finally comes out. You only wish you already knew because you think I'm too dangerous. This isn't about me trusting you at all." He choked out. This was exactly the sort of reaction he expected from people finding out, how afraid they'd be thinking they'd need to protect themselves from him. He'd never hurt anyone, he never wanted to ever put someone into the same situation he'd had to experience, yet people were so eager to act like he was ready to wolf out at any moment and go on a rampage. He watched her leave with a scowl, glad to see the back of her head. He didn't know how much longer he could have taken her talking at him like he was the worst person to ever exist.

For a moment, Alistair sat there frozen, not knowing what to do with himself now that it was over. They'd already attracted so much attention, and he wished he could just make the room disappear so that he wouldn't have to deal with it. The sound of an explosion and shattering glass was both a shocking and welcome distraction, and when Alistair realised who the source of it had been, he gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you." He whispered gratefully, and took his cue to hurry out of the hall, hoping he wouldn't have to run into Leda again on the way out.​

 

[Wendall Layton]

Wendall had been looking forward to reading his first Hogwarts Monthly, but after making himself comfortable in the Great Hall and laying his wand down beside his plate, he realised just how few names he actually recognised. Maybe if he was lucky he’d come to know more one day, but it was still an entertaining read. There was a commotion going on behind him, but Wendall just kept his head down, he didn’t need anymore trouble. He was about to help himself to more bread though when the entire basket in front of him exploded, dough suddenly flying everywhere. The first year yelped in his seat, and proceeded to be slapped in the face with a breadstick ae as he panicked, wondering if it was him that had done that. He got up quickly, to try and herd the variety of wet and broken rolls back where they belonged, his face turned red as he began to apologise.

 

[Solomon Tofilau]

Sully had been craning his head, trying to see what was going on over at the Slytherin table that was causing so many kids to stand up. It was way more interesting than his toast, which he'd overdone the marmite on this morning. It was even more interesting when he recognized Phoebe turning around just in time to see her blow up the Hufflepuff table in a pile of crumbs. Sully whooped from his spot at the Gryffindor table, raising his arms to cheer her on. Seemed all their practice last year had definitely paid off, so Sully felt like it was fair he could take some of the credit for it too, grinning even as some crusts rained down onto the floor nearby.