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Season 2 Issue 5

VerityGrahams

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happy birthday to headmistress lun!

Happy Birthday to our fabulous Headmistress Lun!

The competition simply wouldn’t run well without her. She works so hard and is the inspirational head of Mahoutokoro. We couldn’t let her birthday pass without telling her how much we love her!

From the Hooties!

I haven’t known you for long, but you’re an amazing person. You’re patient and supportive. Thank you and a happy birthday. 

~ Sabine

You are such an amazing friend and mentor and I love talking to you, whether it’s about writing or life in general, you’re super awesome. I can’t imagine not being one of your Hooties. Thank you for recruiting me, always helping me with ideas, and giving me support. 

~ Your Hootie Princess, Ninja/Mason

You always have something positive to say to all of us, and you’re very sweet! I’m glad I got to meet someone as amazing and supportive as you! 

~ Mrs. Dragneel/Rayana

Lun, you’ve been my Headmistress for two seasons (or 1.5 lol) but I couldn’t imagine a better person for the job! You’re so kind and compassionate to all of us Hooties and I don’t know where I would be without you! I wouldn’t even be in the comp! So thank you a million and I hope your birthday is as amazing as you are! 

~ Socks

To Lun, my amazing Headmistress- thank you for constantly being so sweet, supportive, and inspiring to me (and all of my fellow Hooties). It’s been a joy being one of your students for the past two seasons and I’m so happy you found me and recruited me to join the comp. I’m incredibly thankful for you, and I hope you have a wonderful day! 

~ Emmi ❤

Lun, you’re an amazing Headmistress and an amazing friend 🙂 You’re always on top of everything, and you’re always so kind and understanding towards us (especially me lol) when we have difficult periods. I couldn’t be happier to be your Deputy this year, and I’m glad I met you through this comp. Happy Birthday!

~ Sophie

Happy Birthday Lun! I love being a part of your team! You are amazing team leader and I’m glad you invited me to join the comp. You give great writing tips and discussing Dramione recs with you is fun ;p

Here’s a little mood board that I made for you. I had fun creating this! Hope you like it 😀

~ Selene

Happy Birthday Lun! Thank you for being an amazing Headmistress. The IWSC wouldn’t be the same without you and I love being on your team. Thanks for always being there for us. Stay awesome ❤ 

~ Liz 

From the Headmistresses and Admins! 

Happy birthday Lun! 

There aren’t enough words to say how much I appreciate you! You’re a very kind, sweet person who has always been there for me when I need it; I really don’t know what I’d do without you. 

You also have amazing taste in men *cough* Draco *cough*, which makes you even more awesome 😉

Seriously though, I hope you have an amazing day and year! 

(Three guesses who)

Xxxxx

My darling Lun, here we are another year later, and another year older and wiser.  I really don’t know what we would do if you ever left us, your knowledge and wisdom is vital to the lifeblood of this competition and to me too. 

You are so dear to me and I love you lots and lots, so here I say I hope that you have the most wonderful of birthdays, and I hope that all of your wishes and dreams for this coming year come true. All my love now and always

Claire xx

Happy Birthday, Internet Wifey!

By Vee – For Lun

I remember the very first review I ever got from you, it was uplifting and I never imagined that replying to that review would start the long lasting friendship that it has. You are in a word, epic! You make me laugh, you make me smile, you fix my writing, and you work as hard as anyone on this competition that has become our baby! I can’t imagine doing this without you and your awesome spreadsheets! But you’re so much more than the skills you bring to the table, you are an amazing friend.

Love you to pieces, my online bestie,

Vee ❤

p.s. Can you beta this section when you’re done reading it? We had to keep it top secret! Shhh!

First off: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Lun Bean (bet you forgot that one!), you are amazingly awesome! Seriously, I don’t know how any of us survived before we met you! I remember that you were a bit shy when we first met on the Wasps, being that a lot of them were old hats and you were new to the team, but you fit right in and made it probably my best team ever! And of course, I would never have been part of this amazing experience as a Headmistress if you hadn’t put out a call to us last year. I will always be grateful to you for giving me this chance, even if I bungle and oversleep on tasks sometimes lol. Seriously, you’re amazing!

Lots of love from…

Hope Bean!

Happy birthday Lun! Thanks for being such a wonderful Head and friend. You bring so much fun and wisdom to the chat and to the comp overall. Keep doing what you do, and have a great day! 

Georgie 🙂 

Lun! Happy Birthday! It’s been almost two years now since we first met through reviews? You were amazing then, but you have grown so much, become an even better writer, an incredible headmistress, a wonderful friend. You add something so special to the heads team and to the HP fanfiction community as a whole. I’m sure everyone can agree that you have a habit of making the people around you better. You’ve definitely helped me grow in more ways than one! I am so glad that I have gotten to be a part of two competitions with you! I hope you have a spectacular day/week/month/year, you absolutely deserve it! 

~ TQA

HANDY HINTS TO GET YOU POINTS

Plot: Exposition, Action and Dialogue

In the last two Handy Hints articles, we have looked at aspects of how plot is judged and what you can do to make your plot the best it can be. Today, I will be continuing with that thought, after all, the plot is a very important aspect of your story and of the feedback you receive. 

In this article we will be looking at balance within your story. I will be focusing on three main areas; Exposition, Action and Dialogue. Each element has its own task and does something specific for your story. 

  1. Exposition: gives background information to the reader
  2. Action: tells you what is happening in the story
  3. Dialogue: connects the reader to the story

Exposition

What is exposition? Exposition is a literary device that introduces background information — usually essential — about characters, settings, and other important plot elements.

Pros

  1. It gives your readers vital information to inform your plot.
  2. It helps your plot to make sense and become clear to the reader.
  3. It connects the reader to the main story.
  4. Informs a reader about the setting.

Cons

  1. Can become tedious when overused.
  2. Can lead to a lot of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’.

Tips

  1. Only include what readers need to know when they need to know it.
  2. Try using dialogue and action to show your exposition.
    1. A good example of this might be a through a flashback.
  3. Spread out the exposition throughout the story or chapter.
  4. Description that’s compelling can give a great deal of information without being tedious.

Action

Action is another important element as it creates movement in your story, telling your readers what is happening. There are a few different ways you can write action, but it can be description heavy. This aspect of writing includes:

  1. What a character is doing.
  2. What a character is feeling.
  3. How a setting feels.
    1. This is different to information your reader needs to know about the setting, and more about how the setting makes your characters feel and how it affects them.

Pros

  1. Compelling descriptions pull readers into the story.
  2. Great for visualising what is happening.
  3. Action helps the pacing of your story.
  4. Can replace exposition.
    1. Eg. Use action and description to show how a character feels rather than dialogue which says ‘I feel sad’. 

Cons

  1. Too much description can be laborious.
  2. Can make characters appear stagnant if a reader has limited time ‘with’ the characters.
    1. This can make it hard for the reader to connect emotionally with the characters.

Tips

  1. Diversify — use all five senses in descriptions.
  2. Don’t just tell the reader what’s happening, show them how it impacts your characters.
  3. Have action and description that works with the dialogue in your story.
    1. This can be through expanding on action beats and dialogue tags, letting the reader see how people feel about what has been said.
  4. Spread the action throughout the story, this is how you help the pace and flow of the story.

Dialogue

Dialogue is what brings your characters to life. Giving life to characters is important because this is where your readers will begin to empathise, sympathise or identify with them. Their words and how they say them are integral to this.

Both dialogue and action are important, as it’s where your plot really lives; in your characters words and actions. 

Pros

  1. Your characters’ words have impact and bring life to the story.
  2. Your characters become more real to the reader — creating empathy and sympathy.
  3. Your plot has higher stakes with characters your readers can relate to.

Cons

  1. Dialogue on its own is monotonous.
  2. Actions sometimes speak louder than the words of your characters.
  3. It only focuses on one or two characters at a time.
  4. Excessive dialogue can be confusing to follow.

Tips

  1. Use dialogue tags when you must, but don’t overuse them.
  2. Make the dialogue fit the character’s personality.
  3. Use dialogue to show different sides of your character.
  4. Dialogue can help clarify plot points — if you do it subtly.
  5. Characters can often describe things with more impact than narrative.

Balance

In the con’s for every single category, there is the fact that every aspect of storytelling becomes monotonous on its own. Together, action, dialogue and exposition pull your reader into the plot and make it feel real. Action and dialogue work well together, they bring the story to life and create characters that move you. Exposition brings a clarity and understanding that some nifty dialogue or a compelling description can’t.

Prompt of the Round – Event and Plot-Point

Last round we introduced guidance for two new prompts: Event and Plot-Point. At first glance they can appear quite similar, so I thought we’d look at them together to pull apart the similarities and differences. We will also look at how you can maximise their use in your stories.

What are these prompts, and why are they different?

Our prompt guidance for an event states: 

“This is an event that takes place within your plot. It can also be something that has already happened or is an upcoming event if it influences the plot of your story.” 

An event is something that is physically occurring within a story — a party, exams, first date etc. 

Our prompt guidance for a plot-point prompt states: 

“This is a topic or theme discussed or taking place in your story. It can be interpreted similar to the event prompt and be shown in something that actually happens, or it can be something of importance in a more abstract form.” 

A plot-point does not need to be a tangible occurrence — a plot point could be bullying, discrimination, education, new beginnings etc. This is more interpretable.

When working with these prompts, it is important to remember these differences. The difference between the two is not about subtlety — it’s possible to use an event prompt or plot-point subtly — but rather about whether the prompt physical occurs or not.

How can I use an event prompt?

An event prompt can form a really strong basis for your story. However, it is important to note that an event can serve as much more than just a setting for your main plotline. To demonstrate this, I’m going to outline two ways in which to use the following prompt: [Event] NEWTs.

Option One:

I am choosing to set the timeline of this story within the NEWTs examination period. To make the prompt clear, my characters are going to take their Potions NEWT during the story, to break up the other action. 

Prior to the exam, Lily and James are going to have an argument about Lily’s choice of occupation post-Hogwarts. Lily wants to become an Auror with James and Sirius, however James feels that it is too dangerous. The argument began due to Lily’s concern about her Potions NEWT score, and how it would affect her chances of becoming an Auror.

Following the exam, James is venting to Remus about the argument, who helps him to see Lily’s side, and that she is capable of protecting herself. The story ends with James and Lily resolving the argument, and James promising to support Lily in her choices.

Option Two:

I am going to use the same basic premise as the above story — James and Lily arguing about Lily wanting to be an Auror. However in this story, instead of using the NEWT exam as a transition point, I am going to use it as a third scene. 

During this scene I will explore how James is feeling about the NEWTs, and how his stress over passing has contributed to his argument with Lily. James will also observe Lily breezing through the practical portion of the Potions NEWT, and be reminded of her competence, which opens him up to Remus’ point of view after the exam.

After James has resolved the argument with Lily, I will end my story with him about to go into his next NEWT, more relaxed because he knows that whatever happens, he and Lily will have each others’ backs.

While the event prompt has been clearly used in both stories, it has been used much more strongly in the second outline. By incorporating details about your event such as: 

  1. Date, 
  2. Time, 
  3. Location, 
  4. Type (for example type of NEWT, type of party)
  5. Decorations 
  6. Emotions and motives of those attending the event, 

You can make the event much more important to the story and maximise the points that you can gain. Alternatively, only mentioning the event once or twice, or making it a background setting, can weaken the tie to the overall story. This can decrease the points you will be given for that prompt.

How can I use a plot-point prompt?

Using plot-point prompt can be an effective way to establish an overarching theme for your story. However, like an event prompt, this needs to be done in a way that gives the prompt a strong tie to the rest of your story. I am going to use this using the prompt [Plot-Point] Racial Discrimination.

Option One:

In this story I will be following Hermione as she learns about the wizarding world and begins at Hogwarts. The story will focus on Hermione’s enthusiasm for learning everything about her new reality, and one of the things she comes across is racial discrimination against Muggles and Muggle-borns. 

As Hermione starts her classes and is getting consistently good scores, she decides that there is no truth in the hatred from some of her schoolmates, and she chooses to focus on the truth rather than the lies.

Option Two:

While this story will follow the same arc, I will start with an adult Hermione reflecting back on her early experiences in the wizarding world. I will utilise flashbacks to look at young Hermione during her first year at Hogwarts, returning to the present day throughout to show how Hermione feels now as an adult about that time in her life.

The final scene will show Hermione reflecting on the injustice of racial discrimination in the wizarding world, the hard work she had to put in to get to where she is now — work that Purebloods did not have to put in — and the new laws she is working on to ensure other young witches and wizards don’t need to face the same challenges that she did.

Like the event prompt, both of these stories look at racial discrimination. The difference is that the first story focuses on Hermione’s love for learning, with racial discrimination sitting in the background. In the second story, however, the plot-point is used to reveal Hermione’s thoughts and feelings about her school experience, as well as the importance of her current work.

In summary, tying your event and plot-point prompts to the emotions and motives of your characters can increase its significance in your story and help you gain those all-important points for your school.

Writing School

Time for some more of Headmistress Lun’s creative writing tips (with the support of Admin TQA)! This round we are looking at Flashbacks. 

This will also be the technique judged in this round’s Writing School.

Flashbacks are a common storytelling device to deliver background information, and they are a way of showing it instead of telling it. It can be quite tricky to incorporate it into a story naturally, though.

Anatomy of a Flashback

Preparation

  • Framing a flashback 

There are stories that begin with the end of the story and then they go back to the beginning, telling everything as one long flashback. Their plot is about the events that lead to the ending that the writer has already presented. This method is common in fiction and is called ‘framing’. The actual story is the flashback itself. The present is just the frame for the plot and a hook for the reader to make them curious about how events unfold towards the presented ending. 

Example: 

The beginning of this method is usually a shock moment. Your main character finds themselves in a very precarious or unusual situation. Winding back, you start your story to explain how it happened. 

  • Evaluate the necessity

Unless you use the framing method, readers are interested in the here and now of your story as that is what carries impact and value. Anything which interferes with this can be a distraction. If the episode from a character’s past can be told in a few lines of exposition (telling it, not showing it) then that is what you should do. Evaluating how essential a flashback is is important.

  • Hook the reader first

Any flashback represents a disruption to the story currently being told, so it is vital that you only move back in time once the reader is hooked. For example, use a flashback during an exciting part of the story when the audience will be itching to find out what happens next.

The Transition

  • Use triggers for natural flashbacks

Try incorporating the flashback into your character’s experiences. When experiencing a flashback in real life, it is often triggered by something significant. You can get creative with this. It can be triggered by 

  • an object
  • a situation
  • emotions 
  • senses (smell, sound or sensation)

Example:

Your character finds themselves in a childhood place, they find an old photograph or eat something that reminds them of their past and leads back to a very specific memory.

  • Mark the transition

Flashbacks can be disorienting for the reader. You have to make sure that the readers are aware of the time and the place—both when you move back in time and again when you rejoin the present. There are multiple methods to do this. An elegant way would be incorporating it among other information, such as, why that flashback is important, or what it is about? A less subtle way would be simply stating the place and time. The latter is often skipped by readers, so try to incorporate it into the story instead of having it as a separate headline. 

Example:

You can use sentences like:

  • When she had just turned seven…
  • On her last birthday…
  • The day her mother died…
  • Switch tenses

Change the verb tense to mark the change in time. If your narrative is in past tense (eg. she wrote), the first sentence of the flashback should be in past perfect (she had written). You only have to maintain it for one or two sentences, and then you can go back to simple past tense so that the reader experiences it in real time. If you’re writing in present tense (she writes), the shift goes from present to simple past (she wrote). 

The Flashback

  • Keep a tight focus

If you need to use a flashback, cut it down to its key moments. If you have to lead your readers through pages and pages of backstory, incorporate the flashback into the greater time frame of the story instead.

A flashback should always serve as a tool to advance what is happening in the present. Focus on events that are important for the present story line. Treat a character’s backstory like you would get to know a person in real life: You wouldn’t expect to hear about someone’s 10th birthday unless it was somehow relevant to the present. You can still create all this backstory, but use it in your story when it fits the plot naturally, and do not force all backstory in at once and solely through flashbacks.

  • Dramatize your flashbacks

Longer flashbacks should be stories of their own that strongly tie to the present. They should have goals and conflicts and resolutions, and not just a mass of dull-but-essential information. This can be just as damaging to a story as too much exposition.

Ending the Flashback

  • End a flashback with a transition

The last sentences of the flashback should be used in a strategic way to bring your reader back into the main storyline. Remember to make it natural. Your character’s musing can be interrupted by something or it can be a gradual transition. Remember your grammar shift from the first transition too; once the flashback ends, you’ll return to the verb tense of the main story.

  • Include after effects

When the flashback is part of a memory, it should have an effect on the character that is reliving it. There can be lingering emotions, flashbacks can also be part of resolutions and actions.

Perhaps the most important consideration is how the flashback affects the reader’s understanding of the story and the character’s motivations. Did it cause the reader to reinterpret what they know of the character so far? Will it inform their view of the character going forward? Give the flashback an intended effect that makes it important for the story.

Example:

A dark side of a character is revealed to the reader or a trauma that explains some previously unexplained actions and reactions. Your character should feel according to the kind of flashback they just had. Maybe they’re melancholic or get homesick when they are reminded of a nice memory. Or they are shaken by reliving traumas they have suppressed.

Writing School Challenge

Win up to 10 extra points by writing a drabble that will be judged specifically on the aspects of this round’s challenge. These stories are not to be beta’d by another member of your team. The idea is that you learn the rules and beta for yourself, ensuring that there are as few errors as possible.

Find the rules for this challenge in our rules and regulations thread!

For this round’s drabble, we want you to write a story involving a flashback. Your story will be rated on how well you incorporate it into the main story.

Your prompts this round will be focusing on time.

Prompts:

  1. (object) Time Turner
  2. (sound) Ticking
  3. (action) Running late
  4. (action) Waiting
  5. (song) Freddie Mercury – Time Waits For No One

Deadline: 8am UTC 21st March 2020

interview – Writers Block

Mrs Dragneel joined Mahoutokoro in our second season, previously being a writer for Ilvermorny. She will tell us about her best methods to combat writer’s block here!

Hi Mrs Dragneel, describe yourself in one sentence!

Scatterbrained! I constantly have ideas in my head for various stories.

Describe your writing style in three words.

Descriptive, creative, and thorough.

What’s your strategy against writer’s block? 

When I can’t seem to figure out what to write next, I take a step back and look at my story as a whole as well as think about what I’m really trying to say or show. If my writing had started to veer off from what I wanted originally I’d scrap what was needed and try again. Sometimes when writing I get carried away and have to go back and rewrite things as well to get things sounding right again.

How did you find this strategy? When did you realise what works for you in those situations?

I think I found this strategy when I really began to love reading and writing my own things. I don’t think I can pinpoint the exact moment I realized it worked for me. I think that’s something that occurs naturally after you experience your own struggles. You never really know how to avoid something until you know exactly what to avoid. Trial and error are the best teachers after all.

Did you ever abandon a story?

Unfortunately, I have. It was when I first started writing fanfiction and I thought I had messed it up too much. I felt that it was kind of all over the place. Since it was my first story, I hadn’t really had the chance to develop my writing style. After I went over everything I realized that it wasn’t really telling the story I wanted to, so I put it on permanent hiatus. But I’ve always wanted to go back and fix it so maybe it will be back in shape soon!

What do you do now when your stories don’t end up how you wanted them?

I go over them to see where it started to go wrong and I fix it, whether that means a complete rewrite or deletion of a paragraph or two.

How do you find ideas for a story when reading the theme and prompts you are given?

I try to remember similar events that happened in the books (which isn’t too hard since I’m a total HP Fangirl) and see how I’d put my spin on it. 

What kinds of prompts help you to get creative?

It actually depends on what theme I get. However, settings, and character prompts help massively because, honestly, that’s part of the story right there. Also, I like object prompts and I suppose emotion prompts are pretty useful too.

Which of our additional challenges help you when you’re stuck with your main story?

I haven’t done the review challenge yet, but I think it would help immensely. It allows us to look at each other’s work and help each other become better writers. Also, things like the meme challenge and creative corner help us think of other ways to be creative with HP. I think that could help with writing as well. After all, maybe we just need to visualize what we want to write.

NinjaDevil is doing her second season as well, being a returnign Mahoutokoro student!

Hi Ninja, describe yourself in one sentence!

I’m a geeky, gothic Ravenclaw who loves dogs and loves to write and doesn’t care what people think about her.

Describe your writing style in three words.

Whump-filled, emotional, and descriptive.

What’s your strategy against writer’s block? 

I like to talk it over with people. Team mates, friends and my headmistress are my go to people. Seeing the plot and ideas laid out in front of me instead of just words in my head really helps my imagination. I also will talk it over with myself out loud. You should see the looks my mom gives me when I’m talking about a story out loud and don’t even realize it.

Other times though, I’ll just work on a different story, sometimes a completely different fandom, and then when I return to the original story, I can focus on it a bit easier.

How did you find out that this method works for you?

Well, talking over with people just sort of happened. I would talk over ideas with my friend and teammate Liz or my headmistress Lun and suddenly, seeing the ideas laid out in front of me, I would get a sudden idea or something would click into place.

Switching stories/fandoms is something I do naturally. I’m always working on different stories. I must have five open documents on my computer right now. Leaving something and then coming back later is something  many do. Fresh eyes, fresh ideas. At least for me.

Did you ever abandon a story because you couldn’t get over a block?

I almost did. I have a multi-chapter Narnia story that I really wasn’t enjoying. I nearly called it quits and put it up for adoption, but one evening I had a long conversation with Headmistress Verity about it and I was able to work on it again. Verity was able to give me ideas and get me interested in the story again.

What do you do when your stories don’t end up how you wanted them?

Well, I suppose I just go with it, or at least try to. There have been many times when I’ve had an idea and started to write it, but then scrapped it and started again because I didn’t like how it was going.

If there’s a story that is finished, but I’m not super sure of how I like it, that’s when I’ll send it to Liz. She’ll give me feedback and insight into how I could make it more personal or include more emotion. I’ll do that for both competition stories and unrelated stories.

How do you find ideas for a story with the theme and prompts you are given?

Well, not too rarely I’ve had an idea similar to the theme before. I can use this idea, change it up and twist it to make it work with the prompts.

But at other times I have to come up with something completely different and unique. I look at the theme, choose a topic or buzzword that could interest me, and then look at the prompts to see if any prompts can go hand in hand with the theme. 

What kinds of prompts help you to get creative?

I like the emotion prompts a lot. But I go all over with the prompts generally. Character, pairings, dialogue, etc. It just depends on themes and ideas for me. Now that I think about it, I also like the weather prompts a lot.

Are there some kinds of prompts or themes that block your creativity?

Not necessarily. Some prompts like events and creatures I don’t often use because I feel like I can’t draw the emotions from those prompts. I will use them literally sometimes though. That’s part of the reason, I like pairing and emotion prompts. I can use the ideas and emotions in the story even if it’s not literal.

Which of our additional challenges helps you when you’re stuck with your main story?

Definitely the creative corner challenges. I can sit on my phone and edit pictures and create wallpapers all day and knowing I get some points for making them just makes it even make fun. 

Thank you Ninja and Mrs Dragneel for your tips and tricks to combat writer’s block!

Everyone has to find their own methods to combat writer’s block. But believe me, most writers I know find someone they can moan to about how awful their block is, that they will never be able to write again and failed as a writer. We all need someone to pat our head and tell us to just get off our butts and start writing again.

In the meantime, you can take your mind off your block by taking part in our many creative challenges here in the WWN! We have the Writing School drabble, creative challenges, Aunt Molly questions and Quizzes and Trivia.

If you have an interesting story to share and you think it would be a great part of the interview section, message your headmistress or our comp account!

The Great Book Review

These judges picks were the best of the best, according to our judges! That means that each and every one of them is worth a read. Each story was awarded 3 extra points for their judges pick, except for the overall judges pick, which will get 5 points!

Durmstrang: With Great Power by Bellwether

When I first opened this story, it seemed to me to be just another ‘Lucius/Severus’ friendship fic. When I continued reading I got so much more. Bellwether, who unfortunately had to leave the competition, has written a beautiful story that focuses on the unknown motives of one of the darker characters in the HP Fandom. Lucius too gets a lighter make-over and I found that I empathised and understood him a whole lot more.

Severus Snape is universally loved and hated, and most of this boils down to one character; Lily Evans. His love for her redeems him for so many of us, while his calling her that word drives many of us to distraction, hating him all the more. This story, quite remarkably, bridges the gap. This is understandably a hard time for the young Severus Snape, and what makes Lucius so endearing, is that he steps down from his high place and offers real support. The idea that he knows Severus’ biggest secrets, but chooses to keep them safe shows the deep friendship between them.

There are many issues that I personally have with the Marauders Era, mainly because the characterisation between these characters from children to adults just doesn’t match up. Here one of the characters has an emotional journey that really explains this for me. I am crying out for more fictions that will take my adult characters backstories and bring it into alignment of what they become. Many of Severus’ darker choices have lighter motives in canon, this story does that once again, and with the hints at Snily love, you know I love it!

~ Headmistress Verity

Ilvermorny: The Dark Lady Rises by DarylDixon’sgirl

I really loved the twist presented in the DarylDixon’sgirl story, The Dark Lady Rises. What if Tom hadn’t resented everyone because he was in an orphanage and abandoned by his parents? What if, as so many do, he took this as an example of what he didn’t want to be in his life, and strived for something good? As a victim of childhood neglect myself, I resonated so much with the themes of rising higher and being better than what should bring you down.

Something I really enjoyed was that, while Tom is a much more likable person in this story than in the books, he is still clearly Sytherin. His core personality traits of ambition, cunning, and doing anything to achieve his goals are still very present. It shows that, good or bad, any personality trait has good sides. Kindness can become gullibility, cleverness can become pretentiousness, and ambition, in Tom’s case, would have turned into pridefulness and arrogance.

I enjoyed that the story starts out fairly positive. After all, graduation day is something everyone looks forward to. Slowly, it turns into a dangerous mystery, with poor Tom stuck at the center. I also thought using Myrtle was quite intelligent. After all, with Tom being a good guy now, Myrtle survives, having lived her whole Hogwarts career teased by Olive Hornby, she would certainly have good cause to become a villain.

Definitely read this, the mysteries within are so good! Any HP fan will enjoy it!

~ Headmistress Hope

Beauxbatons: The Professor by The Angry Peanut – Overall JP

The Professor shines a light on the sad reality of one of my favourite characters. Remus’ life is a constant struggle, his curse something he has to hide from the world he tries to navigate like a rowboat in a storm.

His self-hate is not only reflected in his state of mind but also mirrored in the ugly world around him. Everything in the small village he lives in seems mundane, the people are unfriendly, with ugly personalities or disgusting behaviors. There is little solace in his place of the world that he seems to carry with him as if it’s not a set location but an atmosphere that clings to his person.

Only a person from his past can see the value in him, knows his true potential and can bring a little bit of light into his life. 

This story is heartbreak and a balm to the soul at the same time. It shows the ugly in a beautiful way.

~ Headmistress Lun

Mahoutokoro: A Tale of dungbombs Story by Kokoro893

You know, it’s not often that I read Severus Snape/Lucius Malfoy platonic friendship fics, but this one was one of the better ones I have read over the years. 

I felt sad for Severus at the start of the story. His best friend was Sorted into a different house, then he gets shunned for being friends with Lily. But I did have to smile when Severus stood up for himself against Lucius as Head Boy. I wanted to ‘Sectumsempra’ Bellatrix for what she did to Severus after that. 

Then comes the Marauders tricks and pranks. I have to admit that did make me laugh! Typical James and Sirius! But yikes, poor Severus and Lily, I bet that dungbomb took some removal! Then Severus’ revenge was just brilliant if I do say so myself. 

Throughout the rest of the story I love how Lucius worked to protect Severus from the Dark Lord. Especially when he got his hands on a book about Legillimens; not only to help protect Severus, but Lily too. 

Then comes the end. I had to grin when Lucius throws a dungbomb on the dead body of Bellatrix, that was a nice touch! But the best bit was how freely they both felt able to just sit and talk without the feeling of the weight of the world on their shoulders. An excellent read.

~ Headmistress Claire.

Hogwarts: Of Firebolts and Fury by Penguin of Prose

This heart-warming story is a must-read for any next-gen fan — or just anyone who loves a bit of sibling love.

Penguin perfectly captures the complicated dynamics between siblings by delving into Hugo’s frustration with and jealousy of his sister Rose, while also displaying his deep love and affection for her. At the start of the fic, I was worried that an irreparable rift had come between the siblings, however Penguin slowly wove the threads of their relationship back together in a way that was both realistic and satisfying to read. 

For anyone who has siblings, this fic would feel very familiar, and gives us all hope that any hurt can be fixed and any relationship mended when there is love to bind us together. 

Among the storyline of sibling arguments and make-ups, Penguin skillfully reveals little traits of both Rose and Hugo that we can trace back to their parents. In fact, there are times where the names could easily be replaced with Ron and Hermione, as insecurities about talent and social skills are aired between the pair.

If you are in need of a mood boost, I would strongly recommend “Of Firebolts and Fury.”

~ Admin Georgie

honourable mentions – writing school

Onward The Sailors Cry by QuickSilverFox

Our honourable mention from this rounds writing school goes to Quick Silver Fox. Not only did this story do well technically, but it also captured our writing school judge more than any other, and that’s what writing is about.

This story is set after Albus, Gellert and Aberforth duel. Our beloved headmaster is lonely, confused and lost, because, of course, he may have killed his sister and his little brother wants nothing to do with him. This story is about Albus going looking for answers after this traumatic event. Is it these answers that help him become the headmaster we meet so many years later?

the great book review interview

Congratulations to QuickSilverFox3 on winning overall judges pick last round! Your story was so creative, suspenseful, and immersive. You really took us into the world of your characters. We are so excited to learn a bit more about you and your submission!

Firstly, let’s have you introduce yourself! How would you describe your writing style and what you like most about writing?

I would describe my writing style as descriptive? Never really thought about it before honestly. It’s the best way to get what I have in my head into words, and luckily I enjoy it so that works out well.

I like the satisfaction of sending a completed story out into the world. It can be nerve wracking, but definitely worth it.

Next, we want to hear all about your wonderful story!

1.     How did you feel about your story when you first submitted it to the round?

I felt very happy with it! It didn’t take me too long to write once I got over the initial stage of trying to get the beginning to work which is always a plus. Charlie is one of my favourite HP characters so I’m always happy when I get to write him.

2.     What was your thought process as you went about writing your story? Did inspiration strike right away or did the concept take some time to grow and develop? Was there a certain aspect of the theme or a prompt that really caught your attention, or was it more of a creative challenge?

It went through a lot of changes at the start. At first the idea was to have Charlie being nursed back to health, then to have Harry be injured and Charlie nurse him back to health, then back to the original idea. Eventually I happened on the idea to write the injury scene first (which was only meant to be a short bit) and it ran with me from there.

I am a fan of whump and H/C fics so that was what caught my attention first even if I wasn’t in a whump writing sort of mood at the start of writing.

3.     You mentioned in your Author’s Note that the creatures in your story came from Romanian folklore. Is this something that you are particularly interested in? What inspired you to use these specific creatures?

I’ve been inspired by writing The Witcher fic using Scandinavian creatures. My discovery of the two Romanian creatures was sort of by chance as I was originally just looking for forest creatures. When I found the Iele it was pure coincidence that it was Romanian. The Samca was deliberately found to match.

4.     Your story revolved around a new location with new characters and new creatures. Using so much that your reader isn’t familiar with from canon can be a risk! You showed amazing creativity and description, really pulling off all of these unfamiliar concepts. What made you decide to go this direction and take that risk? 

Using aspects the reader may not be familiar with gives me a bit more creative license as I am not a religious fact checker when writing fic. I love reading it where every point is meticulously researched but I can’t do that myself. I’ve tried and it is not for me.

For this fic, I remembered an old tumblr post where it said—and I’m paraphrasing because I can’t fully remember it—that Charlie’s friends where 110% down to help him smuggle a dragon which is an accurate representation of being in your 20s and I ran with that just a bit further.

5.     What aspect of your story are you most proud of?

The fight/chase scene. They’re a lot of fun to picture and write, even if trying to balance the description with the action can be a bit difficult at times.

The Lair of Madam Pince

Welcome to the library section. This season we are showcasing stories that you would like to have publicised, stories that you want more reviews for, and stories that you think are contenders for the IWSC Awards. 

In the honeydukes chat, we have asked for all your nominations for the end of season awards. We have a number of categories, and today I will outline what would be required for the ‘Dean Thomas’ Artistic Flair Award’. Other awards you can nominate for are:

  1. Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes – Comedy
  2. Snape’s Tragic Tales – Tragedy
  3. Luna Lovegood’s Award for Creativity – Originality
  4. Hufflepuff Hearts Award – Romance
  5. Malfoy Family Tree Award – Family focused fics
  6. Honeyduke’s Super Sweet Award – Fluff

We also have some non-story related awards that you can vote for:

  1. The Longbottom Prize for the Coolest Cardigan – Heartwarming and constructive reviews
  2. Ron Weasley’s Wingman Award – Team mate who gave the most support
  3. Percy’s Prize for the Best Beta – Beta reader award
  4. The Remus Lupin Award for Bravery – Exchange Student that went the extra mile

Dean Thomas’ Artistic Flair Award

This award is dedicated to stories that defy canon. We are looking for the most creative Alternate Universe stories. When we say AU!, we don’t mean small changes, we are looking for something bigger. Did someone on your team write a spectacular Muggle AU? It doesn’t just have to be one of the common AU’s, either; it can be anything. 

Nominations so far:

An Explosive End by By Ashen Moon

This Muggle AU submission was from the Ministry of Magic themed round. Ashen Moon writes a brilliant Crime Drama set in the Muggle world. Her main characters are none other than the Marauders who are trying to rid the world of Death Eaters — a ruthless gang — once and for all. The only problem is, information keeps getting leaked. What will they do? Read to find out. 

Frozen Heart and Burning Love by Amythesica

Amythesica really went all out for her AU. Harry is a girl and grew up with none other than Tom Riddle himself. With a Tom Riddle/Harry Potter pairing, you know that this is something wildly creative, and with her addition of an original creature, seen only in this story, you have to love it. To get more details you will have to read!

Dear Aunt Molly Mr’s Malfoy

Send a letter to our agony aunt to win 1 point for your team!

A dear friend has informed me that a certain blood traitor hands out advice to our children. As governor of Hogwarts, I cannot simply stand by and let our children be subjected to those impure views. Therefore, I have used my connections at the WWN to replace the former Agony Aunt until a suitable alternative can be found.

Dear Aunt Molly,

I’ve been having a confusing time lately. Last year my friends tended to ignore me and not listen to what I had to say.  They said they never meant to but they would leave me out of important stuff quite often.

This year they include me in heaps of things and I’m suddenly on good terms with everyone. I find this confusing and I’m not sure if I should bring it up with them or not. They’ve never apologised, just been especially nice to me. 

Do you think there’s an explanation and should I bring it up, or should I just let it be and not worry? 

Thank you!

Confused Friend
by Rami-fon-Verg @ Deviant Art

My dear Confused Friend,

Friends are very important in life. I cannot stress enough how much potential they have to bring you forward in life. 

But what is also important is to have the right friends. The wrong kind of friends can drag you down until you end up being an insignificant no one or worse, associated with the Weasleys. 

What you should do first is assess the importance of your friends — specifically in regards to your future life. What benefits do these friendships provide you? Do they have any connections that might be convenient or useful to you at a later date in life, or in your career? Are they well established in society? Are they well liked by a lot of people? What power or pull do they have that can benefit you?

If you can answer those questions with a very clear ‘yes’, you really should put some work into keeping your friendship and make sure to never alienate them—because no one is more dangerous than an enemy that used to be your friend. They know things about you that can make you very vulnerable in the future and more importantly, create obstacles in your climb to success.

I hope my advice has helped you in making the right decisions for your future.

Sincerely,

LM

By Verity Grahams

I failed to catch the Snitch before Potter—again! So, Father has deemed this the adequate punishment for bringing immense shame upon the Malfoy name. Now I’m forced to read about your childish problems and try to give appropriate advice. Here goes nothing…

Dear Aunt Molly,

I hope you’re doing well.

I’ve managed to remain out of trouble for a pretty long time, and intend to remain that way so that I can finish my school year in peace.

I’m writing to you for a bit of advice on a different front. I’ve heard that the vegetables grown in your garden are the best. I’ve only grown ornamental plants until now, with the exception of mint, but I want to start a kitchen garden too. What kitchen plants are the easiest for beginners? Do you have any advice regarding their care? Is wanting to grow strawberries aiming too high?

Take care, Auntie 🙂

Portulacas and Justicias

Do I have to write this like a proper letter? I really don’t see the sense in it. 

I’ll just skip the introductions because if your ambitions in life don’t surpass growing some blasted strawberries, there really isn’t any hope for you. You should grow some potatoes; maybe they’ll turn out more interesting than you are.

Get a life.

Sincerely,

DM

Dear Aunt Molly,

I am a fairly established wizardess with my own magical creatures veterinary clinic. However, I have never gone on a date.

At first I was just too busy with my studies, and then my apprenticeship and doctorate course to fool around with random blind dates, but now I feel like I have missed the dating boat.

What should I do to catch the “boat” now? I am not too late, am I?

Never Dated Healer

Dear Spinster,

You should really call it what it is. 

A woman’s place is in the home; I’m sure your parents told you that more than once. But as you disregarded that advice, you really don’t deserve any better.

On the other hand, you’re probably an old trout and a prude on top of that. It’s more than likely that nobody wants you, so don’t even try.

My father said it’s the Mudbloods that are doing this to our society. Maybe it’s not completely your fault that way, if that’s any consolation. They either come into our world, ready to throw themselves at the next wizard, or they have these weird expectations of having a career until they realise they’re too old to get kids. They throw away their life for working in a stuffy office as a secretary — who would ever give them a higher position?

My advice here: Get a makeover and hope for the best. All your resources should go into finding a proper husband, darling. And don’t forget to get some flattering robes. 

I cannot emphasize this strongly enough: Make yourself presentable!

Sincerely,

DM

Again, the WWN would like to apologise for the advice received in this edition and are already looking for new applicants for the position.

Character Profiles

Welcome back to the latest How to Write article! Since I did Dumbledore last round, it’s only fair to do the other half of that pair this time! At first, I was going to do Voldemort, but y’all know how to write him, right? So this time, we’re going to learn about Dumbledore’s one-time friend and love interest, Gellert Grindelwald!

HOW TO WRITE: Gellert Grindelwald

We don’t know a lot about Grindelwald prior to his meeting Dumbledore in the summer of 1899. We know he had an obsession with the Deathly Hallows, as he was the one to bring Dumbledore into the fold of that. He also left carvings of the symbol at his alma mater, Durmstrang, from which he was expelled for using Dark Magic. We can assume that he stole the Elder Wand sometime prior to their meeting, but it could also have been sometime after, due to Gregorovitch the wandmaker describing the thief as “a young man”.

And then, the meeting. Grindelwald came to Godric’s Hollow to visit his aunt, famous historian and family friend of the Dumbledores, Bathilda Bagshot. This was most likely a ruse to seek out the remains of Ignotus Peverell, the original owner and possible creator of the Invisibility Cloak. The boys were introduced and became great friends and eventually romantically involved, at least on Albus’s end. It is unknown whether these feelings were reciprocated, however. This was during a particularly difficult time for the Dumbledores, as they had just lost their mother and were attempting to adapt to life without her.

C/o Newsweek

This summer was when Grindelwald began to perfect his ideology. In what was later described by Dumbledore as “two months of insanity”, the boys began their plan for domination of the Muggles. Dumbledore even came up with the phrase that would become Grindelwald’s slogan, “For The Greater Good”.

At the end of the summer, Grindelwald revealed his true self. This happened when Albus’s brother Aberforth confronted them, telling them that they couldn’t carry out their plans with his and Albus’s sister Ariana in tow. Grindelwald grew angry, incredulous that this little boy was trying to stand up to him and incensed that he was getting in the way of his manipulation of Dumbledore. He eventually resorted to the Cruciatus Curse. Albus then started to realize how wrong he’d been, but not before Ariana had been killed by one of the boys’ wayward spells. Wanting to avoid the stigma of the death, Grindelwald fled the town, and the two would not meet for over forty years.

C/O Wiki Fandom

During this time, Grindelwald set to gaining himself a following, his ideas meeting with great approval. The magical community was starting to grow resentful of being kept in the shadows from Muggles, and Grindelwald offered them a chance to be open with their magic, without the numerous restrictions institutions like the Ministry of Magic and MACUSA put on them. By 1926, he was powerful enough to impersonate senior MACUSA member Percival Graves, which he did in order to find an Obscurial he had foreseen would be useful to him (possibly as a way to kill those who spoke against him. He attempted to achieve this with the help of a seemingly non-magical young man, Credence Barebone. He thought that Credence would be helpful because he had seen the child he was searching for near Mary Lou, Credence’s adopted mother.

In Grindelwald’s manipulation of Credence, he reveals a lot of his personality. He has to be in control of everything. His Seer abilities help him keep the upper hand on everyone he meets. He knew that Credence was abused by Mary Lou, so he showed him compassion, even giving the young man his pendant of the Deathly Hallows as a sign of faith (and as a way to contact him). Eventually, Credence starts to suspect that his younger adopted sister Modesty is the child Grindelwald is looking for. After relaying this, Grindelwald reveals to Credence that he could care less about him, as he believes he is a Squib, and therefore magicless.

Eventually, he found out that Credence himself was the Obscurus. Before he could do anything about it, however, he was captured by Newt Scamander and members of MACUSA in New York City. After being revealed as Grindelwald, he was imprisoned for a short time before escaping and beginning his first step of his plan to rule Muggles. It is likely that he could have escaped any time he wanted, but chose the time when they would move them, as he knew that security would be easier to escape from. At a rally in Paris, he compelled a young woman to appear to hex a member of the Ministry that had come to the event to apprehend Grindelwald. The Ministry member then killed her in self defense. This made it seem like the Ministry, not him, were the ones acting cruelly. During the aftermath, many of the attendees joined with Grindelwald, including Queenie Goldstein and Credence, who Grindelwald claims to know the true identity of.

We don’t know what happens next for sure, but we can speculate until the third Fantastic Beasts movie is released. He gains a much bigger following, growing in power and gaining influence in the greater part of Europe and likely the Americas (steering clear of Britain and Dumbledore). This continues until the famous duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. Albus came out the victor, and Grindelwald was taken into custody.

Grindelwald was convicted and sent to the prison where he had sent all of those who dissented against him: Nurmengard Castle in Austria. He remained there until 1998, when Lord Voldemort came looking for the Elder Wand. Grindelwald refused to tell him anything and was eventually killed. Grindelwald’s refusal to answer Voldemort’s questions can either be interpreted as remorse for the atrocious things he did when in power, or as an attempt to protect his friend and love interest.

The only two headcanons worth mentioning are the obvious ones. The first, that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were romantically involved during their summer planning, canon, according to J.K. Rowling, although it is never stated in the books and only hinted at in the movies. Headcanon also makes it into a sure and certain romance, reciprocated or not. The other is that, somehow, Grindelwald found out which of the three boys (Albus, Aberforth, or himself), had killed Ariana during the split. This is unlikely, however, as duels tend to move fast and no one likely saw anything until the figurative dust settled and there was a little girl lying dead on the floor.

A couple of things to look into: how did Grindelwald feel about Albus? Did he return his affections, or was he simply using him as a means to an end? Maybe a bit of both? Also explore the two big duels he was a part of: the three-way that ended with Ariana dead and the one where he ended up in prison. Was he terrified of the power he had, or exhilarated by it? In the end, how did he feel battling Dumbledore again after forty plus years of separation? Dive into his early life: did he like it at Durmstrang? What Dark Magic did he work to get expelled? What was the reason he was so interested in the Deathly Hallows in the first place?

Finally, explore his final days as he waited to die in Nurmengard. Did he resent being there? Did he find it amusing? Perhaps he began to feel remorse for everything he’d done in his life? What thoughts led him to attempt to keep at least one Hallow away from his usurper as the most evil wizard of the century?

Come back for the next issue, where we will move on to the famous wandmaker Garrick Ollivander!

Creative Corner

Each year around the world, bright young witches and wizards begin their journey of magical education. Some follow in the footsteps of their parents and siblings who paved their way at the school. Some students might be starting afresh, making new friends and learning about the world that has opened before them. Whether Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, Ilvermorny, Mahoutokoro, or any of the other wizarding schools around the globe, they are all places of learning, friendship, competition, and adventure. 

Challenge

This challenge will earn each participant 5 points for simply submitting! The winner of the challenge will be featured in the next issue and will get themselves another 5 points!!

Firstly, last round we asked for Poems, and there were so many that we simply can’t post them all here. Verity is hard at work getting a poetry page added to the blog where you will be able to read them all. The winner, and the one that got the bonus points was… Janie Ohio – Beauxbatons 6th Year

Sometimes we look for heroes to save the day,

To rescue us, to help us, to show us the way.

Sometimes we need heroes to help us inspire,

To give us something and to light our fire.

Then there’s the hero who shall have no successor,

“There’s no need to call me ‘sir’, professor.”

For this creative challenge, you will be in charge of designing your own school! You decide on the name, location, the houses, and a crest. Does your school have a motto, silly or inspirational? What is its subject of specialty? You can choose! The creative possibilities are endless! 

Let your style of creativity show. Are you an artist? Make your school known to the world by: 

  1. A School crest, 
  2. Giving it a name 
  3. Giving it a Headteacher
  4. Specialised subjects
  5. Country of origin
  6. Houses and Sorting ceremony
  7. Anything else you would like to include! 

We want you to show it, make us believe that your new school is the place to be! Present your new school, with all the above information, in any way you choose. Remember, presentation is everything. 

Rules:

  1. The school must be something new. You can’t recreate one of the existing schools!
  2. Include at least four of the categories above
  3. Any submission, as always, must be your own work.
fan art submissions
  • Lillian Beauxbatons
  • Silvermist Ruhi Hogwarts

To enter the challenge, please send all your masterpieces to us at wizardingschoolchampionship @ gmail . com . The deadline is March 24th 8 am UTC so get creative!

Hogwarts Mystery

Something mysterious is happening at Hogwarts…

‘That’s why her hair is so big; it’s full of secrets.’

—Gretchen, Mean Girls.

WARNING: This article may contain Hogwarts Mystery game spoilers if you haven’t caught up. Please read with caution.

Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of our Hogwarts Mystery guide. As I explore another choice-based story app, I can’t help but wonder what a good story is without a ‘mean girl’ or three. 

C/O Hogwarts Mystery App

The main, usually not so dangerous, rival (antagonist) in any story often makes it challenging for the protagonist, and quite frankly, more interesting. Just like in many of my favourite fictions, like the legendary Mean Girls (Regina George, Karen Smith, and Gretchen Weiner), Avatar: the Last Airbender (Tai Lee, May, and Azula), and even in Harry Potter itself (Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle), these ‘mean girl/ boy’ characters often come together as a trio. 

In Hogwarts Mystery, there are three main characters that fit this category—at least in the first three years. After the third year, the characters open up a little more; just like Regina who is partly mean because of her dysfunctional parents and jealousy, or Draco and his need to prove himself and fear of You-Know-Who, there is more to them than meets the eye.

In this article, we’ll find out what makes them tick.

Merula Snyde (Regina George, but isn’t blonde and doesn’t own a Fendi or a Lexis)

This charming Slytherin is your arch rival at school. Since the day you both arrive at Hogwarts, Merula is determined to prove herself as the best witch Hogwarts has ever seen—even if it means bullying other students. She’s cunning and deceptive, and tries to sabotage you from the very first Potions lesson.

Despite putting you in mortal danger later in your first year, and later trying to find the cursed vaults first, Merula is often more bark than bite.Her parents were both Death Eaters and thrown into Azkaban prior to attending Hogwarts, so already there’s a bit of emotional damage happening; having a parent in prison is enough to hurt anyone. Little is known about her parents, save for them teaching her dark curses. Just like Merula, Mrs Snyde seemed to have a soft side; it is revealed that she once owned a unicorn, until Mr Snyde made her get rid of it.

Merula begins to open up to you in later years, and dare I say it, even likes you *le gasp*. Dating her is an option in Year 4/5(?) onwards, but be prepared that it’s definitely more of a  love-hate relationship. She did once have a friendship with a Ravenclaw by the name of Tulip Karasu, but as predicted, that didn’t end well either.

Summary: a lost little girl who needs some love and guidance, but will curse you if you hug her. Often seen rolling her eyes or stamping her foot.

Ismelda Murk (Gretchen Weiner wannabe)

Ismelda, Ismelda, Ismelda… If there’s a lesson on dark curses, death, or decay, Ismelda will be listening attentively.This Slytherin lass is known for her combat boots and side fringe, reminiscent of the good old 80s goths style that was apparently popular in that era (don’t ask me; I’m young, thank you very much!… Okay, I’m a 90’s child, but still.) 

Beneath the constant sour face, however, is another girl who just needs some love. From feeling insecure with her mound of pimples, an unfortunately public-made crush on one hotness named Barnaby Lee, to being always compared to her perfect former Gryffindor older sister, Ismelda is simply putting on a tough front as she tries to prove her worth. Her parents are not Death Eaters, but from the little we do find out, they’ve been just as damaging to her by expecting her to be something she isn’t.

Ismelda isn’t a dating option so far, but she does soften slightly towards you, especially after completing the side quest involving her little crush on Barnaby (and can you blame her?). She does remain Merula’s right hand woman, but soon finds unexpected companionship in a younger Hufflepuff.The question is, will she be a good influence on Beatrice?

Summary: Iconic goth style hiding a more vulnerable girl. Death likely if hugged.

Barnaby Lee (the Karen of the group)

Oh Barnaby, how you make my heart soar! Back off witches, this boy is mine 😉 Just like Aaron Samuels, Barnaby Lee is strictly off limits, but being part of the trio, it wouldn’t be right not introducing him here.

You meet Barnaby in the third year, where he oh-so-charmingly threatens to beat you up if you mess with Merula (point to Barnaby: he’s loyal). Intelligence isn’t exactly Barnaby’s strong suit, but he has enough muscle and brawn to make up for it.

By the end of your third year, Barnaby breaks away from the trio (and sweeps in to rescue you), but not after a few more tangles. His parents are also in Azkaban, arrested for being Death Eaters, leaving him to live with his just-as-awful grandmother.

Growing up, Barnaby was often knocked by his parents for being dumb. He wasn’t allowed many toys or pets, despite his affinity for looking after creatures (isn’t that adorable?). He can be quite frustrating at times, but in the end, if I had to pick an ‘enemy’, he’d be it.

See? The perfect couple 😉 (ignore the hair)

Summary: Green-eyed hottie who is more brawn than brain. Definitely huggable, but only by Tigger.

Trivia and Puzzles

Welcome to the trivia and puzzles challenge. Our puzzle can be found in our online blog, but first, let’s congratulate last issue’s winners! The random number generator was hard at work and picked the following winners for Trivia; Janie Ohio – Beauxbatons, Paceso – Beauxbatons, Leprechaun – Hogwarts.

The maze was a bit of a struggle again, but we had so many get involved we have another three winners for that too: Leprechaun – Hogwarts, Claude Amelia Song – Ilvermorny, QuickSilverFox – Hogwarts.  

Trivia

  1. Besides being Head of Hufflepuff House, what department was Pomona Sprout the Head of at Hogwarts? 
  2. A non-magical person who has at least one magical parent is called a what? 
  3. How many of the Harry Potter films are amongst the 50 highest-grossing movies of all time? 
  4. How many Founding members of Hogwarts School are there? 
  5. What is the name of the hit movie that serves as a prequel to Harry Potter? 
  6. What is the name of Harry Potter’s wife? 
  7. The actress who played Nymphadora Tonks starred in which famous TV series? 
  8. Along with Hogwarts and Durmstrang, which other wizarding school participates in the Triwizard Cup? 
  9. What professional Quidditch team did Oliver Wood play on?
  10. Who is Fridwulfa the mother of? 

Puzzle

ABCD
1My name starts with ‘H’ as does that of all those diagonally below.I’m the second pet of C3’s best friend I’m a cat and the man below me had a REALLY big pet snake. And somewhere in this column is a werewolf.In this line, there are only pets.
2I can transform into the same animal as C1.I’m not a human or animal and the woman below me raised two children. The boy to my right could have been the chosen one.My pet once ran away and is in the cell above me.
3The woman below me is the reason someone killed tried to kill my son and there is a head canon that C1 was once my pet.I am to the right of my sister.I’m the owner of A1 and my father is beside me.My child had a B2 inside him for most of his life until his death.
4D4 is a man. And C2 was a pureblood.I am a teacher as are all those left and right of me and A2. I taught the same subject as C4.The woman to my left likes cats but is the opposite of A2.Above me is a man who married one of my favourite students that you can find in A3.

The International Wizarding School Competition League Table

School Place This Round Story Points Points MVP
Beauxbatons 1st Place265.75137.751178.75Lillian
Mahoutokoro 2nd Place 183151931.5Kokoro
Hogwarts 3rd Place188.25115.75921Magpie
Ilvermorny 4th Place190.25159830.75SekDaniels
Durmstrang 5th Place 218.75158773.75Bellwhether

Feel free to contribute to other aspects of the paper by sending a private message to the Competition account. We are always looking for pieces of fanart, and even your thoughts or recommendations. Even if you want to send a message to someone in the competition that you think has excelled, or maybe they helped you out? Send it to Aunt Molly! Anything else should be sent to Wizarding School Championship. In the Subject should be Wizarding World News: [Name the section of the paper you are writing about] depending on what you’re messaging about.

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