Hogwarts Monthly: Y37 Semester 2

[Nell Night]

HOGWARTS MONTHLY: Y37 SEMESTER 2 ISSUE​

Another Year Closes​ By: Nell Wright​

Kia ora koutou katoa, welcome to the final issue of Hogwarts Monthly for this school year. The beginning of this semester brought us a whole slate of new teachers, so let us list them for those who can't keep up. You may find Professor Dubois high in the Divination tower ready to tell your fortunes, Professor Corrins introducing the younger students to the wonderful world of Charms, Professor Williams calculating away in the Arithmancy rooms, and Professor Rowan-Cullen wrangling Magical Creatures out on the grounds. Welcome to Hogwarts, one and all! We at Hogwarts Monthly all hope the new Professors have been settling in well, and finding their lives in the castle comfortable. Once again this semester has been a busy one, between chaos on the Quidditch pitch, all the glamour and romance of the Valentines dance, the excitement of the annual duelling tournament, and of course, exams looming on the horizon. We've got all the scoops for you in this semester's issue of Hogwarts Monthly, so you can keep up to date on all the excitement you may have missed around the castle. Whether you're looking for the winner of a duel you missed, some handy hints about how to spend your Saturday, or just anything to distract from those upcoming NEWTs, it's all within these pages!​

Quidditch Highlights​ By: Nikko Blackwood​

Club Events​ By: Adorah Zumwalt​

Quidditch is rarely a boring game, with chasers flying at full speed and beaters knocking bludgers around in every direction. This semester’s games were no exception to that rule and with one game still left in the season that excitement is not likely to die down just yet. The first game of the semester started off with a bang, as beater Juniper Zumwalt landed the first blow on Amy Jewel, Hufflepuff’s chaser, within the first few moments after the initial whistle blow. But it was Hufflepuff’s co-captain and chaser Abian Hunter who took possession of the quaffle first. It was co-captain against co-captain as his shot was blocked by Ravenclaw’s co-captain, Lars Van Houten. Zumwalt was still not done with her onslaught of the Hufflepuff team, and she managed to hit beater, Connor Holland, as well as Abian Hunter, and Amy Jewel for a second time. Ravenclaw chaser, Hattie Thorne, took possession of the quaffle next but it was quickly stolen by Abian Hunter. His second attempt to score was blocked, probably a result of his earlier bludger hit. Thalia Pourroulis was the next Ravenclaw chaser to get her hand on the quaffle, but was blocked by Linden Cullen, Hufflepuff’s keeper. No one else had a chance at scoring any points before Ravenclaw’s other co-captain, Minnie Calida, caught the snitch and ended the game. The much anticipated game between Gryffindor and Slytherin was next, and did not disappoint. Slytherin chaser, Jasper Night took to the air first and grabbed the quaffle without hesitation. But Gryffindor wasn’t about to take it easy on the current champions and Emma Van Houten, beater, landed a solid blow against captain and Slytherin seeker, Blake Irons. Slytherin made the first score and it was Noel Waldgrave, Gryffindor chaser, who took the quaffle next. Emma Van Houten was having a particularly good game and hit Mordred Cavanaugh, Slytherin’s keeper. Despite the hit, Cavanaugh was able to block Waldgrave’s shot. Jasper Night managed to take possession and score again, before Solomon Tofilau took the quaffle for Gryffindor and scored. Blake Irons caught the snitch not long after, winning yet again for Slytherin. But not before taking a victory lap around the pitch and making a scene by landing in the stands to kiss Ravenclaw’s co-captain Lars Van Houten. The championship game against Beauxbaton’s is right around the corner, let’s hope Slytherin can keep up their streak against the French team this year. Beauxbaton’s has had quite a drastic change to their team’s lineup since last year, and consists of mostly new and untested players. Hopefully their inexperience will work in our team's favor. I know the school will be out there to support our team no matter what, and I can’t wait to see who will come out on top.​

One thing that has always fascinated me about Hogwarts is the variety of clubs we have. Each group definitely keeps busy in between all the homework and quidditch. My personal favorite this semester was seeing the Wild Patch come together to feed chomping cabbages. Plants are wildly important to our education and general life at school, and while most of us will never be unfortunate enough to taste Skele-Gro, I’m thankful there are students making sure one of its primary ingredients will be hearty and healthy! Our fraternal organizations, Heta Omega and The Brotherhood, both held nostalgic events as the year came to a close. Our resident sorority had an event to honor the graduating seventh years, allowing each one to stand up and share memories from their years at school and informing the girls what they planned on doing after Hogwarts. The boys seemed to engage more in preserving memories, creating a memory wall with photos and taking new pictures during the process. What a creative way to leave a lasting mark on the castle! Even though the Conglomerated Arts Club is not an “official” club, they have been hosting some creative and fun events this year. This semester in particular, Emily Underwood had students come together to create flashcards. Some students took the opportunity to just write down their notes so they could be successful on exams, but others took the opportunity to beautify them. My sister, Juniper Zumwalt, was kind enough to share an example of one of the cards she made at the club event. Lastly, our Dueling Tournament was as eventful as always! Make sure to read Sydney Townsend’s write-up regarding the event, but if you missed any of the duel, let’s just say it came with some drama! ____________________________________________________________________​

Valentines Dance​ By: Estella Fuentes​

The Valentine’s Day Dance is a lovely event that partakes during the evening of Valentine’s Day at Hogwarts. It is a time when the students can bring their loved ones and dance away with them to their heart’s content. Love does not only mean the relationship between one and their significant other, but also between friends. Many people attended this year’s event just to celebrate their connection with their friends, and it was the perfect event to do so. The falling petals really set the mood and the soft colours of red, white and pink created that all too familiar elegancy that is brought every year to this event. For many couples this year, it was their last Valentine’s Day Dance, and whilst this made it a sad occasion for them, the night was still thoroughly enjoyed. Avaria Lockwood and Vader Hume, and Alice Holland and Elliot Briar, are two couples to acknowledge, as this year would have been their last dance together. I wish them all the best in their endeavours when they graduate and here’s to hoping that they have bright futures ahead full of love and happiness! As for dressing up, people dressed in mostly formal attire, some matching the atmosphere and some not. Dressing formal is definitely something I think everyone should do on an occasion like this. It is important to always look your best, and there were quite a few people who did that. Outfits to remember include Rosemarie Chatwin’s daffodil dress. The spectacular design really matched the earthy display of the ceiling, whilst Giselle Rosenberg’s outstanding red rosey dress perfectly coincided with the red rose petals that bloomed and fell from the ceiling. Red is definitely a good choice of colour to wear during the Valentine’s Dance, and I commend all that did. As for the best suits, I must acknowledge Adorah Zumwalt and Daintree Vaskevold for dressing rather exquisitely and formal to this event. Adorah’s nicely sized black tie really made that outfit, along with the blue jeans that stood out amongst the rest. Celebrating Valentine’s Day is definitely an important event in the year. It brings happiness and love to many people, and is a day people can dedicate their time to their significant other or even just their friends. It is important to spend as much time as you can with those around you, and Valentine’s Day really helps people remember that. Finding connections is an extremely rare and special thing, and seeing many people at the Valentine’s Dance making the most of their night really put a smile to my face. Overall, the event went amazingly and I must thank the professors and other organises who put in the effort to make this happen every year, including the House elves who provide us with the food and drinks that would not be there if it weren’t for them. Nights like these really help you appreciate what you have. Until next year, I hope everyone had a wonderful and lovely Valentine’s Day!​

Duelling Tournament​ By: Sydney Townsend​

As another year comes to a close, Hogwarts was once again host to the SDA’s annual Duelling Tournament. This year we saw 32 participants across the tournament’s 25 matches, spanning a total of four rounds. Round One began with plenty of enthusiasm, especially from our second year contestants, who easily boasted the largest number of participants across all year groups. Of note was the match between Seraphina My and Tilly Drage, which involved both an impressive display of magic as well as aggression from students at such a young age level. Perhaps our older contenders could take notes. Round One also saw the use of a few more unusual events, including an unidentified jinx being practiced by two Gryffindors, Lysander Summers and Solomon Tofilau. Though, since neither student managed land a shot, it remains to be seen if the spell is anything beyond typical Gryffindor nonsense. At the start of Round two, we already had our Seventh year champion in Ava Lancaster, as no Seventh years were bold enough to challenge her as reigning champion. A rather disappointing outcome you’d know if you’d been lucky to witness any of her previous matches. Lancaster remains undefeated for the third year in a row since she transferred here. Round two also saw the confirmation of our Third and Fourth year champions, Leia Hume and Juniper Zumwalt respectively, along with some more spirited duels in the second year competition, including a long, determined fight between Tilly Drage once again against Ronald Lazarao. Round three brought a few interesting upsets. This included SDA co-president Tyler Lee losing out on his chance at the championship to his roommate and Slytherin Quidditch captain, Blake Irons, as well as a shameful performance from fifth year Michael Newton. Newton, despite his Gryffindor house placement, chose the cowards way out in his duel against SDA co-leader and reigning fifth year champion, Sydney Townsend, when he decided to forfeit his own duel in a pathetic display of spineless theatrics in the final match. With all the champions decided prior, the tournament finished strong with a final fourth round with second year competitors Tilly Drage and Terrell Foley. After Drage’s performance in her previous rounds however, it may come to no surprise she was able to dispatch Foley and claim a hard won champion’s title. With all matches concluded, Hogwarts now has its duelling champions for 2052. It is interesting to note this years champions include zero Gryffindors, the first time this has happened in my years of reporting the tournament, and pleasantly consists almost entirely of female competitors, barring Blake Irons in 6th year (Nell Wright may need to step up her game next year to fix this).​ RESULTS​ Year​ Champion​ Second Year​ Tilly Drage​ Third Year​ Leia Hume​ Fourth Year​ Juniper Zumwalt​ Fifth Year​ Sydney Townsend​ Sixth Year​ Blake Irons​ Seventh Year​ Ava Lancaster​ With another tournament over, we at Hogwarts Monthly once again say well done to all competitors and thank you to both the SDA and our proctors for another successful tournament.​

How To: Have a Self-Care Saturday​ By: Adorah Zumwalt​	Recipe: Valentine’s Strawberry Cupcakes​ By: Estella Fuentes (Source)​
Final exams bring about a lot of stress: all nighters, two nighters, and so on… BUT we can’t spend all our time studying - we need to make sure to take care of ourselves. Even if you’re at school, taking a few hours for yourself can hit the reset button so you’ll be able to study effectively and (hopefully!) be less stressed. Steps to having a “Self-Care Saturday” 1. Clean your room! Now, this may not be the easiest thing if you live with messy roommates, but you can at least clean up your area. Make your bed. Wipe down the nightstand. Put those clothes in the laundry. If your roommates don’t mind, light a candle to freshen up the space. Even having your area clean can do wonders to your mindset, and it may just help your roomies, as well! 2. Take time for reflecting and silence. The hustle and bustle throughout the castle makes it difficult to find true peace. Set aside some time, either in your room or your favorite abandoned classroom, and just embrace the quiet. You can journal, do some yoga, meditate, or even listen to music. Whatever brings you peace and calms your soul. 3. Get in some water! Whether it’s a long shower or you have access to the splendid bathtub in the prefect’s bathroom, water is just naturally calming. I don’t know if there’s a science behind it, but I do know I always feel better after a shower at the end of a long day. Maybe do a face mask while you’re at it. 4. Sustenance! There are many ways to go about this step. You could go the snacks route and have sweets and crisps. Or you could stick with some carrots and hummus. Either way, feed your soul, figuratively and literally. 5. Hit the sheets! Lastly, get what I’m sure is some much needed rest. Maybe even sleep in on a Saturday morning so you can get those extra Zzzs.​	Strawberry Cupcakes Ingredient Checklist​ 1 ¼ ounces of freeze-dried strawberries​ ¾ cup of all-purpose flour​ ¾ cupcake flour​ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder​ ¼ teaspoon baking soda​ ½ teaspoon salt​ ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature​ 1 ⅓ cups white sugar​ 3 eggs​ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract​ ⅔ cup whole milk at room temperature​ Directions Step 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line muffin tins with 20 cupcake liners. Step 2. Grind strawberries into a fine powder using a coffee grinder or food processor. Whisk strawberry powder, all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Step 3. Beat butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Beat in vanilla extract. Step 4. Stir flour mixture, alternately with the milk, into butter mixture until just incorporated. Fill lined tins with cupcake batter. Step 5. Bake in preheated oven until cupcakes spring back when gently touched with a fingertip. This usually takes 16 to 18 minutes. Strawberry Icing Ingredient Checklist​ 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries​ 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature​ 4 cups powdered sugar​ 3–4 tbsp water or cream, if needed​ 1/2 tsp vanilla extract​ Directions Step 1. add freeze dried strawberries to a food processor and grind into a fine powder. Set aside. Step 2. add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth. Step 3. Add about half of the powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth. Step 4. add the powder and about 3 tablespoons of water or cream and beat until well combined and smooth. Step 5. Add the vanilla extract and slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and beat until well combined and smooth. Step 6. Add additional milk or cream until your icing is the right consistency. Icing can be left at room temperature for 1-2 days.​
Ask Aunt Meg​ By: Anonymous (OOC: Samantha Jacobs)​	Horoscopes​ By: Poppy Perkins​
Dear Aunt Meg, My boyfriend never wants to dance with me at school events. How to I make him want to want to dance with me? - Two-Stepping for One Dear Two-Stepping for One, I’m afraid that you can’t always make someone do what you want. However, the best you can do is talk to him about it. Tell him how you feel about it, that way you both have an understanding of each other. Communication is always good in a relationship. Dear Aunt Meg, Someone I used to be friends with was really horrible to my brother. I've been trying to help him feel better, but most of my other friends are siding with the person who was awful to him! I'm sure she's lied to them about what she did to make herself look like the victim. How can I make my other friends understand that? Miserable in the Middle Dear Miserable in the Middle, The best I think you should do is just talk. No yelling or arguments, just talk. Try to have them listen to both points of views, and make sure that they aren't bias all the way through. It will be hard for sure, knowing that they are gonna stick close to their friend. Again, communication is key. Otherwise, if the talking doesn’t work, give each other space until you’re properly ready to talk. Dear Auntie Meg I've been trying to settle in at Hogwarts, but I can't stop thinking about all the stuff I used to do at home. I'm a performer, and there's no way to do that here! There aren't even any classes for me to keep working on my skills! I don't feel at home here, and I'm starting to get worried that I never will. What should I do? Forlorn Future Star Dear Forlorn Future Star, That’s awesome to hear that you’re a performer! That’s understandable you feel that way, as Hogwarts can be a bit limited to this. I’m not much a performer myself, but maybe you could talk to your head of house and let them know. Maybe they can have some ideas for you on how you could branch out your performing wings! Or maybe you could randomly bust out a performance in the great hall and maybe get your friends involved to help you out. Aunt Meg My brother is being super weird and avoiding me and stuff. I dunno if he just thinks it's lame or whatever to hang out with his little sister, but I'm super cool! What can I do to make him stop being so weird? Sidelined Slytherin Sister Dear Sidelined Slytherin Sister, I’m sure you’re super cool! It’s probably best if you give your brother some space for now. Maybe he just needs time to think about something or that he just needs space of his own. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hang out with you again, it will just take some time. When he’s ready, I’m sure he’ll come around.​	Aries (March 21 - April 19): Things look troubling for you. Keep an eye out for things that may get you into trouble and be extra cautious. Now is a time to take a step back and focus on yourselves. Everything should sort itself out eventually, it will just take some time. Taurus (April 20 - May 20): If you’re working something big, you may be getting close to the end. But you still have work to do and don’t let up yet. Things should lighten up soon so in the meantime remember to keep your head up and keep smiling through it. Gemini (May 21 - June 20): You’re known for talking about others, now don’t be surprised if others are talking about you this time. It might be a good time to change things up and speak less, listen more. You may find that things are easier when you’re not fighting to be heard. Cancer (June 21 - July 22): Sometimes it’s ok to call things quits. Most people say you shouldn’t give up, but there are some things in life that are ok to let go of. It doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you smart. Also, Jupiter is on the horizon, so watch out for Aquarius. Leo (July 23 - August 22): Have you ever thought about where you will be in the future? Maybe it’s time to figure that out. Now is the time to start making the important moves you’ve been waiting on. No time like the present. And your lucky number is 13. Virgo (August 23 - September 22): You might be about to find romance in the most unlikely place. If you’re having problems with someone, maybe spend some time thinking about how you really feel. This is a time of reflection, let it be a time you grow and learn more about yourself. Libra (September 23 - October 22): Things in your life have been a rollercoaster lately, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to end any time soon. When things are stressful it’s common to want people to notice you’re having a hard time. But most people can’t read minds. Scorpio (October 23 - November 21): Are you anxious about something? Be aware of your behavior and make sure to not let your anxieties make you act out in peculiar ways. Make sure to spend time, and take care of yourself if you need it. Mars is starting to shift, so watch out for Ares for the next few weeks. Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): It can be scary to take risks, but that shouldn’t stop you. Take on new challenges and pretend like you know exactly what you are doing. Soon you’ll have everyone fooled. Don’t let yourself worry, people can always tell. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): On occasion, the most important things to remember are the embarrassing ones. If there is something that’s haunting you, address it head on. There might be something to learn there. It’s ok not to be perfect, it may actually be better for you. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18): Sometimes there are days where it feels like nothing has gone right. During those times it's important to remember that not failing counts as a success and it's ok to celebrate the little things. Take time to congratulate others, it might just make all the difference. Pisces (February 19 - March 20): The whole world is waiting for you but it is also full of dangers. So think carefully before you go too far because what you find might always be the best. When you ask for a sign, it’s not always the one you were looking for.​
Branson's Book Club: City of Ghosts​ By: Branson Archer​	School Chatter​ By: Anonymous (OOC: Nell Wright)​
A Ghostly City! In this Branson’s Book Club, we’ll be taking a step back from the love story of Song of Achilles and instead looking at a young adult ghost story. City of Ghost is the first book in a series by Victoria Schwab. It is about a girl and her family, her parents are relatively famous paranormal investigators and have been given an opportunity to film a muggle television show in Edinburgh, supposedly one of the most haunted cities in the world. The daughter, our protagonist, is not so keen on going, but is of course brought along for the ride, the important thing about our main character is that she can for some reason see and interact with ghosts. Where the last story was a deeply complex and tragic love story, this is a fun, short, easy read for any level of reader. It’s not that scary for us wizards, since we know ghosts are real and everywhere. But it has a nice story and is a good novel by the writer who wrote a number of novels in her time. City of Ghosts is an interesting read with lots of details about the new city that we are discovering alongside the main character, the flow of the novel follows around the city, leaving you with an idea of how the place would look even without going. Our main character obviously doesn’t just spend the novel looking around Edinburgh at ghosts, but without ruining the story for those who haven’t maybe finished it, something is amiss and causing a disruption with the ghosts in Edinburgh. While I wouldn’t rate this novel more highly than the last, it’s a good read, it’s a couple of hours of a nice easy to follow book with an engaging enough plot. If you’re looking for a little downtime, or something to read before bed that won’t keep you up all night this is the book. Now, in saying all of this, it’s not that the novel has nothing to say, a notably quote for me was, “Stories have power,......So long as you believe them.” which in the context of the novel makes a great deal of sense, but also for us in our daily lives. And perhaps a quote that would be better suited to the muggles of our world rather than us, but with an equally good messages to wizards and witches of our world too, is “...when it comes to the strange and unexplained, it's important to keep an open mind.” Reminding us that sometimes you as we learn new and varied things at school to keep an open mind about what we're learning, who from and our classmates around us. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to people, it’s a light and easy read, with plenty of things to say. The next book we’ll read is “The Unwritten Library,”. Until next time bookclub!​	While the Monthly's usual queen of gossip was indisposed this semester, the happenings around the castle were simply too juicy not to comment on, so this anonymous writer has stepped in to keep you all in the know. With all the drama in their personal lives, it's hard to tell how anyone gets any studying done in this castle!​ Sealed With A Kiss Of course, it stands to reason to open with the most obvious bit of drama. Most of the school will have seen the dramatic ending of the Slytherin vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match, where Slytherin captain Blake Irons decided to celebrate not with his team, but by flying into the stands to kiss Ravenclaw co-captain Lars van Houten. While younger students will no doubt be aware of their history as rivals on the pitch, they may be surprised to learn of the Slytherin captain's history of bullying van Houten in their younger years. While this reporter has heard the tiresomely toxic cliche that boys often bully people they like, one must question that as the basis of a relationship. Either Irons must have changed his behaviour significantly, or van Houten is showing some pretty terrible judgement when it comes to love. Fourth Year Feud Speaking of terrible judgement, it took this reporter quite a bit of digging to untangle the mess that is the entire fourth year class right now. Somehow it seems Eric Holland has managed to rage his way into tearing apart a year group he isn't even in. After publicly shouting at his (now former) girlfriend Nicole Fisk in the Great Hall, Eric seems to have left his younger brother Connor Holland to do his dirty work, trying and failing to turn the year against Ms. Fisk. Either the gentler Holland takes more after his brother than this writer thought, or he's being manipulated. One way or another, let's hope Ms. Fisk has more luck in love in future. Scrapping Second Years The fourth years aren't the only group at Hogwarts with conflict, and it seems recently a pair of second years saw fit to deal with their disagreements physically. While there were no witnesses to the beginning of the fight between Seraphina My and Tilly Drage to say who started things, both girls were well and truly engaged in a fistfight by the time they were caught by prefect Elliot Briar. As her Quidditch captain as well, one can only imagine Briar hadn't expected Drage to take her title as Beater quite so literally!

"Where do you stand on the debate about getting a trampoline at Hogwarts?"​ By: Nell Wright​

___________________________​	___________________________​	___________________________​	___________________________​
Eoin Armati Ravenclaw First Year "We don't need a trampoline, it would just be pretty pointless. Don't the Gryffindor's already have one, anyway?"​	Tilly Drage Hufflepuff Second Year "Uh, don't we already have two trampolines? Well, maybe Slytherin's doesn't count. I'd sign a petition again- yeah, another trampoline would be cool!"​	Christina Holmgaard Gryffindor Third Year "Come on with that Trampoline! I'm all up for fun. Why not?"​	Kasim Safir Hufflepuff Fourth Year "Anyone past the age of 11 who still wants a trampoline needs to find a hobby."​
Michael Newton Gryffindor Fifth Year "I don't know why everyone has been obsessed with the idea of a trampoline, but I think we should get one the size of the Great Hall. Replace all the tables!"​	Tyler Lee Slytherin Sixth Year "What debate? The Gryffindor idiots have one, and it'll stay there until someone seriously inures themselves. It's a stupid idea."​	William Kaimarama Slytherin Seventh Year "I dunno, there's better stuff to do with your time, but I guess at least some kids are having fun?"​	Professor Quinn Mercury Arithmancy Years 5-7 "A trampoline in Hogwarts sounds excellent! I think it would make a lot of people happy."​

Editor's Note​ By: Nell Wright​

With another year now behind us, all that's left for me to do is thank the Hogwarts Monthly team from the bottom of my heart. This paper doesn't just spring from thin air, and the hard work that goes into producing every issue is an absolute labour of love. From those seeing their name in print for the first time today, to those who've been making the Monthly what it is for years, every member of the team worked hard to fill these pages for your perusal and edification, and I owe them my endless gratitude. Thank you all, for being the most fun and funny group of people I could ever ask to work with. Bring on next year's issues!​

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars was a little startled when he came into the Great Hall to see it was Hogwarts Monthly time already. Though he supposed it made sense with it being the end of the year. He picked up a copy to read while he ate breakfast, pushing down soem guilt as the paper reminded him of Nell, who he had been avoiding a little bit ever since the Blake kiss incident happened. He knew Nell wouldn't approve of Blake, and Lars didn't want a confrontation with one of his best friends.

He relaxed a bit as he started to read the paper, glad to see the kiss was only mentioned very briefly in the Quidditch highlight. The pisces horroscope made him feel a bit anxious, though, and that feeling only increased as he moved on to the School Chatter segment. Somehow, he had forgotten gossip was a part of HM. Surely they wouldn't cover the kiss again? But of course they did, and Lars' stomach clenched as he read on about it. It was clearly written by someone not in favor of the relationship, which made Lars think of Nell again. Even if she hadn't written it, she had approved of it. Had she considered how this would make Lars feel? He didn't even read the next part, quickly folding the paper after reading the line about him having horrible judgement. He could feel his ears burning. Everyone would read that. He scanned the Ravenclaw table, spotting Nell quickly, and moved over to her with a pounding heart. He was almost surprised to realize the emotion he was feeling was anger. He sat down opposite of Nell and threw the paper down between them. "What is this, Nell?" He asked her, looking at her with a frown.

@Nell Wright

 

[Nell Night]

Finishing an issue of Hogwarts Monthly was always Nell's favourite part of the semester, and the thrill she got seeing her published work distributed around the school had never gone away in all her years on the paper. She made a beeline for the Ravenclaw table and picked up a copy to read while she ate, though breakfast was quickly abandoned in favour of re-reading her colleagues articles, ones she had read what felt like a thousand times over while editing. There was nothing quite like seeing it all put together as a finished product.

Her reading was interrupted however, as a copy of the paper was thrown into her eyeline. Nell looked up in surprise, heart sinking as Lars spoke. She had known it was... perhaps a bit mean to pass judgement on her friend's new relationship in such a public medium, but Lars had been avoiding her ever since the Quidditch match, and she couldn't just sit by like one of her closest friends dating a bully was no big deal. She looked at Lars dumbfounded before answering his question, unable to help treating it like a joke. "It's... a newspaper?" She knew treating it like a joke probably wasn't the best move, but Nell had written that article anonymously, and she definitely didn't want to give away to Lars that she was this semester's anonymous gossip. "Do you... not like City of Ghosts?"
@Lars van Houten

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars felt his anger only increase at Nell's response, and he folded the paper open with a bit more force than was maybe necessary, ripping one of the pages by accident. "This." He said, pointing to the gossip column. "Don't play dumb, Nell. We both know you read everything before it goes to print." He snapped at her. "And I wouldn't even be surprised if you wrote this bit. It sounds like what you're probably thinking anyway." He snapped.

@Nell Wright

 

[Lena Williams]

Professor Williams was rather enthused that the semester was ending. It meant she was able to spend more time with Charlotte and her husband and get her house in order from their move months ago. Before she headed out for the day, Lena figured she should pick up the school newspaper. Knowing how hard the students would have worked on it, it made the most sense if she wanted to be aware of what they were dealing with each day. The most fascinating reads happened to the horoscopes. Hoping her's proved true, she glanced at some of the student drama and couldn't help but laugh a little, truly not missing her teenage years.

 

[Nell Night]

Nell's stomach twisted as it struck her just how angry Lars was. "Our anonymous contributers remain anonymous." She said firmly, though she couldn't help the small waver in her voice. Nell had never been the best at dealing with anger. "And none of it is factually untrue! Blake was so horrible to you, how many times did he smash your painting stuff, or beat you up, or make fun of you?! Have you just forgotten all that because he's hot now? He's a jerk, Lars, he always has been!"
@Lars van Houten

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars glared at Nell, unable to believe her. "Right, well. Tell your anonymous source that she could have talked to me." He snapped at her, taking her lack of denial as a confession/ Who else on the Hogwarts Monthly team was old enough to remember what Blake had been like? "I don't care if it's true or not, it's sucks to have your judgy thoughts printed for everyone to see." He said, gesturing to the paper again. "You know what my other friends did? Lily was happy for me, and Elliot came to me with his concerns, you know, talked to me. Even if you didn't write this, you approved of this. I guess you really do think I'm stupid if you really thought I'd just take this without a comment." He said, dropping the paper on the table. "You don't even know Blake."

@Nell Wright

 

[Nell Night]

Nell knew deep down that Lars was right, but what other choice had she had? "Oh, well it's nice other people have been able to find you!" She snapped, glaring at Lars. "I've barely seen you since the match, and we both know that wasn't an accident! You knew I wouldn't approve, you knew I remembered how awful he was to you, and you didn't want to hear it! I'm worried about you, Lars, he was so horrible for so long... even this year wasn't he awful to Minnie at the Yule Ball?"
@Lars van Houten

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars frowned at Nell, knowing she wasn't entirely wrong. But she wasn't entirely right either. "I live in the same tower as you, you could have found me if you wanted to." Lars snapped at her. "Don't pretend you did this for me, you just want people to talk about your paper." He added with a scowl. "If you were really worried you would have talked to me rather than write some anonymous gossip." He told her. "Blake has changed a lot. This meant a lot to us and you turned it into something bad. I guess you've been so busy kissing random people you forgot it's not meaningless to all of us." He told her with a frown.

 

[Nell Night]

Nell could feel her mouth opening slightly as Lars spoke, staring at her friend in disbelief when he insinuated she had only done this so people would read the paper. She hadn't even thought about readership when she was writing, mainly focusing on her frustration and worries about her friend. Any objections to that died on her lips though, when Lars turned the focus to her own love life. "Excuse me?!" Nell snapped, rising her feet as her blood began to boil. "What does my love life have to do with any of this?!" She glared at Lars in disbelief that he would make such a low blow. "Just because I haven't been in a relationship for a while doesn't mean I don't understand them! They're supposed to be based on trust and respect, not some jerk pulling your pigtails because he likes you!"
@Lars van Houten

 

[Blake van Houten]

Blake only really paid attention to a few sections of the Monthly, but this semester there was plenty to catch his attention. He tried to pretend his stomach wasn't twisted in terror as he flicked to the Quidditch section, relief rushing through him as he saw how brief the mention of his kiss with Lars was. Hopefully the rest of the school would be moving on to new gossip in no time, and by the time he got back from the holidays with Lars' family, he would be the oldest of old news. It was nice to read about his duelling victory as well, and he sat up a little straighter, unable to help a small smile at the reminder that he had beaten Tyler at his own game again.

Blake only flicked through the rest, not really reading any of it. He didn't really care about cupcakes or star signs. Just as he was about to put the paper down though, his own name caught his eye yet again, and his heart sank. He hadn't even realised the Monthly had a gossip column. Anxiety coiled around his stomach again as he read the section about him, clearly written by someone who remembered the years he would rather forget. Great. A few years ago the page would have made Blake angry, but now he just felt... sad, ashamed. As hard as it had been, just coming out couldn't fully shake the image of the man his father had tried to make him into. He had more work to do, and the reminder hurt.

He was startled out of his guilt by a commotion at the Ravenclaw table, looking up to see Lars and Nell arguing. He had never really spoken to Nell before, but he knew she was the editor for the Monthly, and it was clear that Lars was not happy with her. Making a quick guess as to what was going, Blake hesitated a moment before getting up and crossing to the Ravenclaw table, gut clenching as he caught the end of Nell's last insult. It was hard to keep down the sudden instinctive spike of anger, but Blake tried to keep his head clear as he approached, folding his arms and standing next to Lars. "I mean, you're not wrong about that." He said a little hollowly, failing to entirely keep his voice void of frustration. He took a deep breath, trying again more slowly. "We've spent like, two years sorting our sh*t out, and I've spent this year trying to fix it with other people I hurt when I was a kid. If... I missed you off that list, then I'm sorry. For real. I've been trying to change. I've been trying really hard. And... Lars has been helping." He hesitated, fighting away the instinctual jolt of fear as he reached to take Lars' hand. "I... get how it looks. I'm... responsible for the awful crap I did when I was younger. But I'm not that kid anymore."
@Lars van Houten

 

[Poppy Perkins]

Poppy was looking forward to grabbing her copy of the Hogwarts Monthly. She had spent the last year as Assistant Editor and thought she had done quite a good job of it so far. She scanned through all the stories and hesitated when she got to the gossip section. It hurt her more then she expected to see her friends written about like this. It was all such a mess and it felt like her feelings about it were changing all the time. Not to mention the whole thing with Lars and his boyfriend. She wondered if that was the straight boy he had talked to her about, but she was too scared to ask him as he walked up to the table right up to Nell. Immediately they started to argue and she considered suggesting they take it somewhere else but the last thing she wanted to do so close to the end of the year was get involved with more drama that she had nothing to do with.

 

[Michael Newton]

Michael was not one to care about school gossip or really any of the goings on at school if he wasn't a part of it. It just wasn't in his nature to gossip, but he was enjoying the school newspaper. It allowed him to get to know the school better. Picking up a copy, he skimmed through, knowing Samantha was on the paper but didn't see her name on anything. Maybe she wasn't writing this semester. However, his attention was immeadiately glued to the dueling tournament. He didn't get to see all of them and loved seeing so many competitive names. Eventually, he saw his own mentioned, which he found a little odd seeing as he didn't win. The Gryffindor's eyes widened as he continued to read and then noticed the writer's name. Of course Sydney would try to frame her winning the duel in something other than her winning the duel. "Shameful" was the last word he'd ever thought would be used to describe him. He wondered if Kas also thought he was shameful or "spineless." As long as his boyfriend didn't care, none of it really mattered. The students would forget about it by next year, and he would eventually catch up with Sydney's wild gossip.

 

[Lars van Houten]

Lars frowned. "Well apparently it was fine for my love life to be all over the newspaper. I notice your kissing adventures are nowhere to be seen." He snapped at her. "You can't blame me for bringing it up." He added, crossing his arms. "My relationship is based on trust and respect. You would know that if you made any effort to look into it." He told her. Blake joined them, and Lars looked up at him. He took his hand. "No, you don't have to explain yourself right now." He told Blake, though he looked at Nell. "She had every opportunity to ask, or do anything but use what's going on with us to get more people talking about her paper." Lars was surprised by the anger he was feeling, and he got to his feet. "I think we're done here." He said, looking away.

 

[Nell Night]

Nell had been so focused on Lars that she blocked out the rest of the hall until it was too late, and she realised with a jolt of horror and indignation that Blake had heard what she was saying about him. Nell braced herself for the fight to escalate to the particular level of immature aggression she had come to expect from Blake, given everything Lars and Jasper had said about him over the years. It was a shock, then, when he entered the conversation perfectly calm, and... owned up to everything Nell had always thought about him. The anger melted out of her face as she watched Blake in total confusion, looking back at Lars in shock. The comment about her own love life stung, but the anger had largely been shocked out of Nell's sails, her heart sinking as Lars got up to leave. "No, wait!" She said quickly, stricken. "Look, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have published it! I just... I couldn't find you to talk, and I was worried!" She looked to Blake hesitantly, wondering if she could rely on the most unlikely of allies in this conversation. "I don't want Lars to get hurt, and if... if this is real, if you're... really different, you have to understand that..."
@Lars van Houten

 

[Blake van Houten]

Blake didn't ever think he had seen Lars as angry as he was right now, at least certainly not since they were children. It was a little bit distracting, but mostly Blake just tried to keep his calm, stomach knotting with guilt at the realisation that he was at fault for this rift between Lars and one of his friends, another problem he had managed to create in his stupid youth. He hesitated when Lars got up to leave, giving Nell an apologetic look. "I do get it." Blake said hesitantly. Lars had a point about Nell publishing the reminder of Blake's past wrongs, but... he knew he would find it hard to hold back himself if he feared someone else was hurting Lars. "I... really am sorry."
@Lars van Houten