Another Semester By Hugo Stark-West (Mia) |
| Welcome to another issue of Hogwarts Monthly. We are now at the end of semester one, and what a semester it has been with classes, Quidditch, and Halloween. I hope that everyone has learnt a lot and grown a little. The semester started like always with the sorting ceremony welcoming our first years, 13 in Gryffindor, 12 in Hufflepuff, 11 in Slytherin and 10 in Ravenclaw. We also welcomed Professor Geovarna Adler-Cade as a temporary Defence against the Dark Arts professor, filling in while Professor Waldgrave is on leave. And of course our fantastic new prefects and hour head students, June Davenport and, shockingly for me, Hugo Stark-West. We have had the club fair where each of the clubs showed off what they do, and various club events throughout the semester. Other events include the start of the year feast, Quidditch tryouts, the start of the season (see below), Halloween feast (see below), exams, and the upcoming Yule ball, which is bound to be magical. But stories on that are to come. For now, enjoy this issue of HM and make the most of the upcomingexams. |
Halloween Done Right By Finley Mackintosh Baros (Zazz) | 
By Rosé Glass (Zephie) |
So Halloween is behind us now and that means we’ve got an article about it that you now have to read! And I’m notapologising. I’m just kidding, you don’t have to read this, but since I’m talking about everyone’s cool costumes, maybe you should huh? Those of us that put in the extra effort this year deserve the praise I think and quite a few people had some really impressive costumes, like yours truly as Jughead Jones, a reference I know a lot of you won’t get, but trust me it’s a retro classic. The Westwick twins came dressed as spiders, and word on the street is it’s the same spider. My personal favourite was my girl Mania who was a garden fairy, or a river fairy, or something, but she was definitely a fairy and it was definitely my favourite. I’ll talk a little more about the winners below, but Halloween seems to have gone off without a hitch, and that’s probably a good thing after the food fight of the end of last year. I think we all deserved something fun and friendly to do with our friends and the Professor’s as always provided. I personally thought the Jack-o-lantern candles were a nice touch and it’s always fun when they enchant the roof to show the outside. We had the classics for activities, bobbing for apples and a spooky tent. The Grindylow piñata was fun to look at. If you didn’t get a chance to have a look at the food, it was mostly the same stuff, bowls of candy and pumpkin juice - nothing too different there. But what is Halloween without the contest winners hey?Speaking of winners, it was a bit of an active group this year, still a little mad that my best friend didn't make the list, but let's have a look at who did; Best Overall: Hugo Stark-West as a Prince Best Magically Enhanced: Cyrus Thorne as a Rainbow Most Scary: Gaia Athanasiou as a Plague Doctor Best Group/Pair: Nessie and Arachne Westwick as a Spider and Fly Most Ridiculous: Teddy Pirrip as a Frog Most Traditional Halloween: Freddie Lagowski as a Skeletal Knight Not the best, not the worst, but those Westwick twins were proper creepy. __________________________________________________________ | Hi everyone! My name is Rosé Glass and I'll be taking over this section of the paper for this semester! I'll be giving you a completely unbiased run down of exactly what happened during this semester's Quidditch Games. Honestly, I think anyone who plays on the Quidditch team is very brave because have you seen how often you get hit with a bludger? The first game of the year was between Slytherin and Hufflepuff! It's hard to know who to root for as a Ravenclaw, but it was still very interesting to watch my very first game from the stands. Hufflepuff started strong, with a Hufflepuff Chaser taking the Quaffle for his team, although things weren't going to go that smoothly. The Slytherin Captain drew first blood, hitting the Hufflepuff Captain square in the face with the Bludger, before the lovely and beautiful Susie got her revenge and hit one of the Slytherin Chasers. Don't you think Quidditch would be just a little bit more boring if Bludgers weren't involved? Unfortunately, the Slytherin Captain also hit another Bludger at Susie, and it looked like it really hurt! I would like to say that anyone who is adamant about putting themselves in the firing line for a game of Quidditch really is very strong. Unfortunately, it was Slytherin that won this one, as they managed to catch the snitch first. The second game of the semester felt a little more tense, and not only because it was my own house playing. According to the rules, whoever wins this one also plays against the winner of the first match, in this case Slytherin. As someone who has a brother and sister in Gryffindor, but wears the blue robes to class, I was also very curious to see how this would turn out. From what I've heard, one of the Ravenclaw Beaters in particular is really good, so I would be a little bit scared if I was on the Gryffindor team, especially if I were the seeker. Somewhat underwhelmingly, the whole event lasted no more than just a couple of minutes. There wasn't even time for anyone to score a goal! Despite being hit by the notorious Ravenclaw Beater, the Gryffindor seeker swiped the Snitch after the game had only just begun. A disappointment for Ravenclaw no doubt, but by the looks of things Gryffindor could well be keeping their trophy streak this year. Rumour has it (thanks to my siblings for the information) those in the Gryffindor common room are allowed to kiss the trophy for good luck! Perhaps that's where they're all getting it from. Until next time, I'll leave you with these words of wisdom: When in doubt, kiss a trophy. __________________________________________________________ |
TO DEFENSIVE BAKINGx By Hugo Stark West (Mia) | 
HOROSCOPES By Eoghan Blyth (Zephie) |
Hello and welcome back to the penultimate edition of Hugos Book Club. This time, we are reading 'The Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking' by T. Kingfisher. Mona is a 14-year-old baker’s apprentice, she is also a minor wizard. in this world, wizards only have powers over one particular thing. Major wizards may be able to control water or lightning, but wizards like Mona have power that works on things like bread and biscuits. Which generally isn't very useful, except if you are a baker's apprentice where you can convince bread to rise, scones not to burn, and, of course, make gingerbread men dance on the counter. But at 4am one morning, Mona stumbles into both a dead body and a plot to eradicate wizards from the city. In her attempt for survival, she reluctantly steps up into having to be a hero, which, as she points out, is very unfair to expect from a fourteen-year-old girl. With some unexpected allys and her familiars, a slightly stale gingerbread man and Bob, the sourdough starter who may or may not be animate and slightly carnivorous, she finds new allies and does what she can to save the city. but the question is is the threat the mysterious ‘spring green man’ or something outside of the walls. They say dont judge a book by its cover. but I am glad I judged this one. Its a funny title, and the simple front with an angry gingerbread man is certainly why I picked it up. Maybe the saying should be more along the lines of its whats on the pages that counts more. and this book had me gripped from the first line: “There was a dead girl in my aunt's bakery. I let out an undignified yelp, backed up a step, then another until I ran into the bakery door” I think this gives a good idea of the tone of the book. it definitely had me laughing more than I expected and reading lines out to whoever was around to listen. The humour was welcome especially given that it doesn’t shy away from heavier themes such as genocide (killing an entire group of people such as wizards), death, and war. though the innocent eyes of a fourteen-year-old did lighten the impact of the topics. I would definitely recommend this book as a great option for an adventure for our younger students and a lighthearted break for our older ones. __________________________________________________________ | What's in store? Ravenclaws With the new upcoming semester on the horizon, what's in store for Ravenclaw for the remainder of Y49? I don't claim to be a seer, but I am passionate about the interpretations of Divination, and the messages relayed in Runes. Of course, feel free to take this article with a pinch of salt, however it may be useful for some to look out for a few key signs throughout S2:
There may be some of you that don't believe in the things I believe in, which of course is your prerogative, but for some that may want the extra words of warning, or even just something to look out for, you might find this to be something to heed:
Of all the houses, you're the ones that are seemingly most in control next semester. Perhaps it won't always feel like it at times, but when comparing the readings for all four, it's you that come out on top in regard to personal success.
Last but not least, we have Hufflepuff. So far you seem to be struggling when it comes to keeping up with the house points, but who's to say you can't take the lead as the year progresses?
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By Eoghan Blyth (Zephie) | 
By Aunt Meg (written anonymously but by Morrie Ayre, Verity ) |
| Eoghan: Have you ever wondered how it feels to be new to a school, perhaps even more so if you're joining in the middle of the year in the centre of your education? Unlike being a first year where everyone is in the same boat, transferring to another school is an independent process that most only experience on their own. Today we speak to Cassandra Cohen, a fourth year Gryffindor who's joined us here at Hogwarts New Zealand in Y49, to tell her about her experience. Hi Cassie. Cassie: Hi Eoghan: Can you tell us a little about the school you've come from and why you decided to transfer to HNZ? C: Yeah sure. Well I come from Hogwarts Scotland and I'd say this is pretty much a carbon copy of that one so not much has changed on that department. Both are very nice and homey so to say, ten out of ten no complaints. I wanted to transfer for a little bit of an exchange year situation because I wanted a little bit of a change of scenery. I was a bit bored of the same people and same professors, you know, so I figured a year abroad could do some good. Nothing wrong with trying your wings else where. So far no disappointments, well not too many at least. It's definitely been that breath of fresh air I was looking for. E: I'm glad to hear it. And do you miss those you were close to at Hogwarts Scotland? Or have you been pleased to cut ties from everyone for the time being? C: Oh don't be so boring, just because I moved halfway across the world temporarily doesn't mean I don't keep up the contact. I still write to those I was closest with, my roommates for example. I do miss them at times but they write to me and I write to them so I am focusing on the present. E: That's good, I'm glad to hear you keep up with them! So tell us, what have you found to be the most difficult part of being a transfer student, especially joining as a fourth year? C: Oh I am sure you are. Most difficult part? Probably the timezone if I am being quite frank, that was a bit of a b***h, sorry will you have to censor that one out? Oh well not my problem. Anyways yeah timezone was a bit difficult to get used to and probably just getting used to the new people I share a dorm with but over all I felt like the transition was pretty smooth. It's fun getting all new professors again and classmates. E: That's understandable. My sister and I are also in different timezones, I know they can certainly make things more difficult. So, what would you say to those who are considering a transfer to another school, whether that's on a temporary or permanent basis? C: Yup yup. I'd say do it. You won't regret doing it but you'll regret if you don't. You can always go back to the safety of what you know but you'll never get your youth and the possibility to do so back which will leave you with a bunch of what if's and what could have been. There's a lot out there for you to see beyond the things you already know, so do it. Try your wings out there on your own, if it doesn't work out then at least you can say 'hey I gave it a shot, it didn't work out and that's okay.' What is meant to be will be. E: I think that's a good way of looking at things. I have one more question. What would you say to those that are left behind when their friend transfers away? C: Well, if it's temporary transfer then try and stay in touch, it's not easy but if the friendship is worth it you'll find a way. If it is temporary just remember they'll come back. It isn't the end of the world and you'll see them again. Let them see it through and try find other things to focus on? E: I suppose that is true. Besides, if you really are friends with someone, when you see them again you'll take off where you started! Thank you for talking to us today Cassie. I hope you're enjoying your time here in New Zealand. Maybe if some students have any questions about either transferring or about Hogwarts Scotland, they could come and speak to you? C: Absolutely, feel free to approach me. Questions or no questions I am here to make friends and memories! Thanks to you too Eoghan! __________________________________________________________ | Aunt Meg here to give advice to the few I managed to coax into baring their souls on the most pressing problems in their lives. Read on, take notes, or ignore at your own peril because it's not like I care either way. I should say though that any actions taken based on this advice are at the sole discretion and risk of the individual. Aunt Meg accepts no responsibility or liability for injury, detention or heartbreak resulting from following any advice. Right. Let's get this over with. Dear Aunt Meg, I don’t see why i have to learn to fly, but apparently it’s required. I tried talking to the headmaster but he says he can’t do anything about it. I don’t like flying and i don’t see why it’s necessary if i’m never going to use it again. What do I do? It’s a bit like learning to drive isn’t it? Signed, The curriculum needs work. Dear Needs Work. The way I see it, you need to play the system because the headmaster isn't going to let you quit flying, I could have told you that. But you can make it impossible for you to fly. Next lesson, deliberately, but make it look like an accident, fall off your broom from enough of a height that gives you an injury that leaves you incapacitated in the hospital wing until the end of semester. You want a bad sprain, not spine, and bruising, but not a broken neck. Time it right to see you through until Christmas. There is no flying in semester two, so problem solved. Happy falling! Aunt Meg P.S I've never driven a car but I'm pretty sure it's literally nothing like flying Dear Aunt Meg, So there's this boy, I don't know how I feel about him or if this is normal? Like I want to spend all this time with him, I want to talk to him all the time and everything you know? We're friends but I have other friends I don't feel like this with... I just don't know what thats' supposed to mean? I get really excited when he's around and I just want to always be around him... I'm so confused... Signed, I don't know Dear Doesn't Know Anything, Are you serious? You literally don't know anything, do you? You’re just soooo confused. You only want to spend every second of every day with your friend, think about him constantly and feel weirdly excited around him. Let me spell it out for you: YOU. HAVE. A. CRUSH. ON. YOUR. FRIEND. Sort it out! Aunt Meg[hr Dear Aunt Meg, I’m not sure if my boyfriend is my boyfriend? I want him to be my boyfriend but I don’t know if he thinks I’m his boyfriend? How do I know we’re boyfriends? Dear Suspected Singleton, Merlin, these Agony Aunt's aren't half dreary. This letter in particular was so dull that I feel just reading it aged me a year. Anyway, have you tried asking him if he's your boyfriend? That might be a good place to start, dumbass. No need to thank me. Aunt Meg __________________________________________________________ |
Computers By Beatrice Grey (Kiersten) | 
By Hugo Stark-West (Mia) |
While pondering what muggle item might be helpful to bring to this semester's edition of Hogwarts Monthly, I thought back to my education before Hogwarts. There was very little handwriting, as we used computers, and that's when it hit me - COMPUTERS. Computers are a form of technology that muggles use for almost everything. There are big computers that run machines and then small computers that you can hold in your hands like phones, but they do so much more than that. When I was in school, we used computers to type (which is kind of a muggle form of magic where a little button with a letter on it connects to a robot brain that knows what letter the button is and then shows it on a screen). I know some people might still know what typewriters are, but since we use quills more often, I figured it was worth explaining. Computers are also a way to do research. You can type in the word, and the big brain of the computer connects you a bunch of resources like books and articles at the drop of a hat. It's a shame we can't use computers here, as it would make homework much easier, but if you want to know more about computers, feel free to ask any muggle student. __________________________________________________________ | And there we have it, another issue of Hogwarts Monthly I would like to extend a big thank you to all the HM staff who made this issue possible. Your continued effort does not go unnoticed. Thank you also to our lovely readers and those who have contributed to the material through letters and interviews. I would also like to take this space to apologise to Aunt Meg for the confusion caused when I pulled one of the submissions. Meg, I know who wrote it because it was my letter. Have a happy and safe holiday. See you all next semester Hugo. __________________________________________________________ |
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