The Wizarding World News
- Judge’s Pick
- Writing School with Ash
- Creative Corner with Hemlock
- Dear Severus Snape with Verity
- Competition Queries with Katie Alden
- Team Challenge with Lun
- League Table
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Judges Pick
Year 1: A look behind the curtain by MissyAndtheDocs (Hogwarts)
This story does a great job in showcasing the transition of Lily’s emotions from jealousy and anger to affection and approval. Her predicament isn’t just based on her blood status but extends beyond that to a need to prove herself as a young woman compared to the Marauders. All of these emotions felt realistic and natural which is why the story has such an impact.
Year 2: The Tale of the Lost Moon Child by Adenei6 (Hogwarts)
A story set within the fairy tale genre is hard to do well, but adenei6 did a fantastic job. You changed certain fairy tale elements that we all know (prince coming to the rescue!) and put a modern twist on it. Your descriptions didn’t just fit with the genre, but also fits well with the characters and mixes fairy tale aspects with HP aspects. Using omnipresent as a narrative style and having an prologue and epilogue added so much.
Year 3: Finally by smjl (Hogwarts)
This beautifully written and well-paced story follows Terry and Padma during their time at Hogwarts. The pairing’s slow burn romance is the main feature, but their interactions also offer a creative look at the lives of other students during well-known canon events. Despite the several jumps in time and the only setting being the Ravenclaw Tower, there wasn’t a lack of captivating descriptions. As a bonus, it was fun to try to guess the answer to all the riddles that appear throughout the story!
Year 4: I Want You to Want Me by JanieOhio (Beauxbatons)
I chose this story for my Judge’s Pick because of the phenomenal way the emotions of every character are written throughout the story. I could feel everything from Harry’s jealousy and grief to Neville’s exasperation and Luna’s worry. It’s an incredibly complex mix of feelings but this story nails each and every one, and the way they resolve into a beautiful happy ending for all involved is just so satisfying to read.
Year 5: this pain would be forevermore by SeleneBlackburn (Hogwarts)
There’s a lot of speculation about what happens to our beloved characters after the Second Wizarding War. This story explores the lives of Harry and Theo at precisely that time in a way that is funny, emotional, and heartfelt all at once. But most importantly, this story shows that even the smallest moments in our lives can be something special—whether it’s Theo eating Vernon’s beloved pot roast or a pseudo-confession of love brought on by an old memory.
Writing School with Ash
Writing Technique: Conciseness
Conciseness is a great skill for all writers. Even when there’s no word limit, you shouldn’t force your readers to read more words than necessary. They’ll start skipping parts, and before you know it, they’ll stop reading your stories.
The best way to practise consciousness is by writing short stories—the shorter, the better, which is easier said than done because the smaller the word count, the more difficult it is to convey an interesting story. But here are some tips.
- Beginning, middle, and end.
Flash fiction isn’t a snippet from a longer story; it’s a story in and of itself, which means it needs to be structured like one.
The story can begin in medias res (in the middle of a narrative) and have an open-ended resolution.
It needs to have a clear plot, which means you need to include the basics of any story: character, goal, conflict, and ending.
How does the story change the characters or their world?
- Simple prose.
Flash fiction is not the place for flowery descriptions. You need to give readers enough detail to picture the scene, but you’ll have to leave most of the description to their imagination.
Only describe the characters’ appearance if it’s important to the plot, and don’t give too much detail when describing the setting. In certain stories, you can even get away with not describing the setting at all.
- Clichés.
No matter the word count, if you want your writing to stand out, you need to get rid of clichés. This rule is even more important in flash fiction, where you don’t have enough words to make up for any faux-pas.
Don’t write “It drew her like a moth to a flame” or “Her eyes sparkled like starlight”. Come up with your own description or fall back on simplicity. Don’t waste words on something that’s already been done.
- Show, don’t tell.
Just because you don’t have words to spare doesn’t mean you should tell instead of show. Not only is telling wordier than simple showing (e.g. “She was angry” vs “She scowled”), but you need your story to be engaging, which means making it as vivid as possible.
- Word choice.
Does your character walk, or do they glide, stride, scurry, dawdle, etc.? When you can only use so many words, you should make sure that every word pulls its weight. This means using zero adverbs.
It also means choosing active verbs instead of relying on the “There is” structure. Instead of writing, “There were two men by the door”, you could write, “Two men stood by the door”. Then you would replace “stood” with a more specific verb that will show readers how they’re standing.
Grammar and Punctuation Section: Commas
- A word about dependent and independent clauses.
To understand when to use commas, you need to know the difference between dependent and independent clauses.
An independent clause is grammatically complete. It includes a subject, a verb, and potentially, an object or a subject complement.
Example with an object: She drew a picture.
Example with a subject complement: He was kind.
A dependent clause cannot stand on its own. It needs to connect to an independent clause to have meaning, either because it begins with a connecting word like “when” or because it doesn’t possess a subject and verb.
Example: Because she hates this place.
- Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction that links two independent clauses.
Example: The child knocked over the vase, and it fell.
The seven coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
Do not add a comma if the coordinating conjunction links a dependent clause to an independent one.
Example: The vase fell to the floor and broke.
- Use a comma after a dependent clause that begins a sentence.
Example: When I left the house, it started to rain.
A comma isn’t used when the dependent clause ends the sentence.
Example: It started raining when I left the house.
Except when there’s no word to link the two clauses.
Example: The flames flickered, threatening to snuff out.
- Use commas around an adverb that modifies a complete sentence or clause.
Example: Finally, the storm ended.
Example: The problem, surprisingly, started after she left.
Do not use commas around an adverb that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb.
Example: She ran quickly to the very nice theatre, but the show ended too soon.
- Use commas around appositives (a noun or noun phrase that gives extra information).
Example: My sister, Prue, doesn’t like music.
Example: I lost my favourite coat, the green one with the big pockets.
Do not add commas when the information is essential to understanding the sentence.
Example: I read the book that you love so much.
- Use commas to surround a person’s name when directly addressing them.
Example: I like you, Jesse.
- Use a comma between the dialogue and the dialogue tag.
Example: “Good luck,” she said.
Example: He couldn’t help but ask, “What’s the point?”
- Use a comma to separate words in a series.
Example: His shirt was red, yellow, and green.
The final comma (between “yellow” and “and) is called an Oxford comma. It isn’t always necessary, but using it can prevent ambiguity.
Example: Sasha loves his parents, Zeus, and Hannibal Lecter.
This is a list of things Sasha loves.
Example: Sasha loves his parents, Zeus and Hannibal Lecter.
This is a statement followed by an appositive. Sasha’s parents are Zeus and Hannibal Lecter.
- Use a comma after “yes” or “no”.
Example: Yes, I did enjoy myself.
- Use a comma between coordinate adjectives.
Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that are equal in meaning.
Example: I rode my bike down a long, narrow path.
To distinguish coordinate adjectives from cumulative adjectives, add “and” between the adjectives. If adding “and” doesn’t make sense, the adjectives are cumulative and shouldn’t take a comma.
Example: I rode my bike down a long and narrow path. = I rode my bike down a long, narrow path.
Example: We went to an old and French village. = We went to an old French village.
- Comma splices.
Commas are versatile, but they can’t do everything. When you want to link two independent clauses, you can either use a semicolon, a full stop, or a comma accompanied by a coordinating conjunction.
Example: We were out of milk, so I went to the shop.
Example: We were out of milk; I went to the shop.
Example: We were out of milk. I went to the shop.
Challenge:
Write a ficlet (250 words max) and be sure to include lots of commas.
Your story is not to be beta read by anyone other than you. This exercise is designed to help you improve, which can only happen if you aren’t relying on a beta reader to fix everything for you.
The upward word count limit for this challenge is 250 words.
Each school can submit only 4 writing school stories.
Please add an A/N at the end of your story with copies of the sentences you wish to be marked on for the Grammar and Punctuation Section.
Optional Prompts:
[Action] Stargazing
[Genre] Crime
[Word] Eternity
Points breakdown:
| 2 points for participation |
| Writing Technique |
| 1 point for writing a story with a clear plot. |
| 1 point for not using any clichés. |
| 1 point for not using any adverbs. |
| 1 point for writing an interesting story. |
| Grammar and Punctuation Section |
| 1 point for knowing when to use commas around coordinating conjunctions. |
| 1 point for starting a sentence with a properly punctuated dependent clause. |
| 1 point for including a properly punctuated appositive. |
| 1 point for getting all the commas in your story right. |
| Deductions |
| -0.75 for SPaG errors (other than commas). |
| -1 for submission errors. |
Creative Corner with Hemlock
Congratulations to the last rounds winner: Ilvermorny’s Leprechaun123
Create a Wanted Poster
You’re getting close to solving the Murder Mystery Headmistress Lun set up for you, and now it’s time to apprehend your suspect. First, you need to find them. Get help from the public by creating a wanted poster of your suspect.
Rules:
- No more than 1 submission per student.
- No more than 3 submissions per school (one of which you can additionally send in for the Murder Mystery).
- The wanted posters for this challenge can feature whichever Harry Potter character you want, but be sure to mention their crime. The one you submit for the Murder Mystery has to feature the suspect of the story.
Both:
- Use whatever artistic medium you want (free verse, photography, sketch, sand art, etc.)
- 100 words max. Use wordcounter.net to check your word count.
- Fact sheets and descriptions are not artistic mediums.
- It should be your own work. No plagiarism!
- Submissions with a profound lack of originality or effort will not receive points.
Each school is allowed 3 submissions. Each submission will receive 3 points, and the winner will earn an extra 2 points. Deputies will vote for their favourite submission (excluding submissions sent by their school). Heads and admins will only vote to break a tie.
Dear Severus Snape with Verity
After last issue’s trauma, I am happy to be addressing a more pleasing topic: Revenge. This is the edition I anticipated as much as you dunderheads looked forward to the romance issue. The fine art of vengeance takes patience, skill, and a great deal of intellect, so listen carefully.
Dear Severus,
Someone has been using my hair and body products. At first I suspected Cissy, but our skin type and hair porosity is different, so I know she wouldn’t touch mine.
But this has been happening ever since our um, uninvited houseguest, if you know who I mean, has moved to the Manor.
He doesn’t even have hair, Severus! Why can I smell my conditioner on him? I bet this some twisted form of punishment.
Please suggest how I can take revenge. I’m sick of being treated like this in my own home.
Signed,
Your-only-friend-who-got-you-on-a-skincare-routine
Dear Lucius,
I know exactly who you mean, and although you are not aware, I also have reasons to seek revenge on this disturbed guest of yours. I can concoct a potion for you to mix with your conditioner. It will smell and look the same, completely undetectable—until you feel the effects, that is. I can provide this for a price, just let me know the desired results. Would you like him to grow red and gold hair? Maybe a rash or boils? I have many ideas. Do drop by to discuss the details.
Yours Sincerely,
Severus Snape
Dear Severus Snape,
Revenge! You have no idea how happy I am to see this. I need help, my boyfriend is being picked on. I want to get sweet revenge on them without my father knowing. I don’t want to look like a fool though. Can you help me, please?
Signed,
Albus S. Potter.
Dear Albus Severus Potter,
The child insultingly named after me. If revenge is what you seek, I can certainly assist. I require information to give you a fully-fledged plan tailored to your needs, but I can give you a number of tips that will help you formulate your own cunning plan. I hear you were placed in Slytherin, and as such, I expect cunning from you.
First thing, what is your enemy’s weakness or greatest fear? I can arrange for a Boggart lesson in Defence Against the Dark Arts; this should give you all the information you need. Secondly, small is out of the question. Surely you know the tales of your uncle’s escapades under the tyrannical rule of Umbridge? That is the scale you should aim for. Finally, ensuring it is as public as possible, means that they will never be able to escape the humiliation. I know this from… personal experience.
I hope this helps,
Yours Sincerely
Severus Snape
Dear Severus,
Hypothetically speaking, if someone took away something or someone you loved—someone perfectly innocent and just being who they are, like a hippogriff or something—how would you make them regret it? They can’t know who did it ’cause they have friends in high places, if you know what I mean.
I don’t want to hurt them. I just want to make them pay. Wait, I shouldn’t have said that.
-Mourning in Hogsmeade
Dear Mourning in Hogsmeade,
I have the perfect plan, as I happen to be privy to some rather private information about that little weasel, and I think it may come in handy.
He is highly superstitious. A few conspicuously placed Hippogriff feathers, an enchantment that causes him to hear the cries of a Hippogriff. I would build these elements up slowly at first, and then add more and more. Maybe even add some tactile hallucination charms or potions.
He will never believe that someone did this, least of all you. It’s the perfect revenge. I am sure that he’ll even pee his pants eventually.
Yours Sincerely
Severus Snape
After having to listen to you witter on about the most inane first-world problems, I have decided to take a break. Against my best judgement, I am allowing Arthur Weasley, the self-proclaimed Muggle expert, to fill in for me in the next issue. So if you have any burning questions about the non-magical (I don’t see why you would), send an owl to my office.
I can’t wait to see what disastrous, misleading responses he gives you.
Competition Queries with Katie Alden
Trigger Warnings and Content Warnings
Trigger Warning: Discussion of common triggers eg violence, mental health, war and sexual abuse.
With so much of our lives online these days, you have probably seen the acronyms “TW” and CW.” These stand for Trigger Warning and Content Warning respectively, and should not be confused with each other. Both are, however, vitally important when you are sharing content on the internet, whether that be writing or other media such as pictures, videos and artwork.
It is really important to understand the difference between the two warnings, and how to use them effectively.
You may ask, why are such warnings needed? When talking with your friends, you generally know something about their background, and what themes and topics may be upsetting to them. On the internet, however, you don’t know who will be coming across your content, and what their life experiences have been. As a consumer, they have a responsibility to themselves to avoid topics and content that is potentially upsetting or disturbing. They can’t do that though unless you have indicated what your content is.
A CW or TW is not a description or synopsis. You would not put “CW: sweet, fluffy, family feels.” This is a place where you share what themes, topics or images exist in your work that has the potential to be harmful to the consumer.
So, what makes a content warning different from a trigger warning?
Content Warnings warn for topics that may be upsetting to the consumer. Examples of this include mentions of blood, graphic or non-graphic depictions of birth, nudity, or common phobias such as snakes or spiders. Content warnings are designed to warn of things that may make the consumer feel bad or uncomfortable, but which are not traumatic.
Trigger Warnings are for content that has the potential to trigger a trauma response in someone. This includes physical, emotional and sexual abuse, war, eating disorders, panic attacks, violence against children etc. It is very important to be careful with your warnings, as there may be topics that you would consider to be ok that have the potential to trigger a very visceral response in someone else.
A good example of this is teacher/student relationships. For some readers, this is a desired feature in a story. For others, such as myself, this is a very uncomfortable topic that they would choose to avoid. So far, it’s a CW, right?
Wrong.
Because a teacher/student relationship is something that is a known trauma trigger in many people across the world. This may be due to direct experience, the experience of others they know, or experience that is close enough to still elicit a trauma reaction, such as any relationship with a strong power imbalance.
It is always better to over warn than under warn. If I know that something is in a fic, I can make an informed decision as to whether to read it or not based on how I am feeling at that moment. Sometimes I can read fics with some of my triggers – because I know they are there, and I only read them on a day when I feel that I can handle it. Conversely, I have had to abandon fics suddenly due to a trigger that has then left me feeling awful for hours, if not days.
It is important to note, especially in this age of keyboard warriors and cancel culture, that being triggered DOES NOT equal being offended. Someone is not avoiding your content because they don’t like the idea of something – if someone states that they have been triggered by a topic, they are talking about a very real, very traumatic response. Similarly, if you are offended by something, please do not tell the creator, or anyone else, that you have been triggered, as this sends the wrong message and may invalidate the feelings of those who are dealing with PTSD.
It is also crucial to remember this: my trigger is not your trigger. Your trigger is not my trigger. I warn for things in my own writing that do not bother me but has the potential to upset, overwhelm or trigger a trauma response in someone else. I do not get to say what may or may not be a trigger for someone else, just as no one can tell me what my triggers are.
The last thing to note about content and trigger warnings is that while we need to be thorough in our warnings, we also need to ensure that we are not so thorough that we trigger a response before the person has even gotten to the content itself.
The first step to this is to set out your CW and TW in plain, simple language. For example:
CW: mentions of blood, non-graphic injury, gratuitous use of the F word
TW: mentions of past rape, graphic domestic violence, panic attacks – on and off screen, implied homophobia
Once we have set out the basics, there are a few ways we can go about the next step. One is to do the following:
.
.
.
.
So that any in-depth descriptions are hiding below the cut, and the consumer has the choice as to whether to read them or not.
The second option, which I have seen used most often, is to leave a note under your warnings saying “Further detail of warnings can be found at the end of the fic.” This means that someone will only see the more in-depth warnings if they choose to do so, and protects your readers even more than the first option.
We all create content because we enjoy it, and we want others to enjoy it too. By using content and trigger warnings effectively, we can ensure that fandom is a safe space for everyone while continuing to enjoy what we love.
Team Challenge with Lun
Winner of the previous Murder Mystery: Ilvermorny
PART THREE
You present the witness reports to the Auror team. Everyone is impressed by your detective skills.
“Oh, Colin…” Head Auror Potter shakes his head. “What did you do?”
For a moment, a heavy silence settles over the meeting room.
“Ireland, you say?” Auror Granger asks, breaking the tension. “That’s where Seamus moved after he and Colin broke up. It was rather ugly in the end. I heard Seamus and Zacharias had recently started dating. Do you think Colin is going to…?” She trails off, her eyes rounding in panic. “Let me look up Seamus’s address!” She leaves in a rush of wild curls.
Head Auror Potter looks grim. “Ron was injured in last night’s patrol, so he won’t be able to travel. We can’t waste time, but there is no other Auror available. I have to send you to find out if Colin is looking for Seamus. Alert us if you find him. You have proven yourself so far, and I trust you.” A glimmer of pride shines in his eyes.
You travel to Ireland to pay Seamus Finnigan a visit and find out where Colin Creevey is hiding.
- Wanted Poster: Design challenge, see Creative Corner article
- Answer all three questions of the border patrol officer
- Name
- Riddle 1
- Riddle 2
- Find out the exact location of the murderer (send in the word and a picture of your solution)
Report the answers back to the competition email to get further instructions from Head Auror Potter. Each school sending correct answers will get additional prompts in the next main round.
If you want to continue in the next round, you have to send in the correct answers. You can request hints from your headmistress if you are stuck, but you will lose the chance to win points and will get no additional prompts for the next main round.
The best wanted poster will be selected by the Mods and Deputies and will get an additional prompt for the next round.
1. WANTED POSTER:
First, design a wanted poster stating the murderer’s name and location from part two of the Magical Murder Mystery.
This goes along with this round’s Creative Corner challenge, and the same rules apply regarding the tools that can be used. Each team can send in one poster for the Murder Mystery only. The other team members can take part in the CC challenge independently of this challenge.
2. CROSS THE BORDER
You take out your passport as the Knight Bus drops you at the Irish border. Since Brexit, border controls have become a standard for wizarding individuals. You swallow as you recognise the patrol officer, the infamous “Mean Judge of Season 2”.
1. They ask you, “Do you know my name?”
Without hesitation, you give them the answer, and they nod.
“You have to answer two riddles to pass,” they say. “Listen closely; the first answer is clear.”
2. Solve this riddle:
You have to look carefully to see me, for I hide in between. I’m crystal, I’m water, I’m invisible.
3. Solve this riddle:
Who am I? I shout, I whisper, I cry and stutter. But I don’t smile, and I don’t glare. I follow the words, precede them and disrupt them when I like. Without me, language would be monotone.
3. CATCH THE MURDERER
Seamus Finnigan looks tired as he opens the door for you, but he invites you in for a cup of tea after you explain the situation.
“Colin hasn’t been well for a while. In the beginning, I thought I could fix him, could help him out of this dark place he goes to when he remembers the war. But it only got worse and worse. I had to break it off. I love him, but our relationship wasn’t doing anything good for him. He was paranoid and jealous.”
You nod, understanding. When you ask Seamus if he has seen Colin recently, his eyes briefly dart to a smudged note on the table. But before he can reply, the tea kettle whistles, and he excuses himself.
You take a closer look at the note. It looks like ink had been spilt on it, making it hard to read. Find out what word this riddle spells to find out where Colin is hiding:
For an online version, click here.
The clues are the numbers at the ends of rows and columns. Each number is the number of consecutive black squares.
The International Wizarding School Competition League Table
| School | Place | This Round | Points | MVP |
| Hogwarts | 1st | 188.75 | 955.5 | Adenei |
| Beauxbatons | 2nd | 164.25 | 909.5 | Janie-Ohio |
| Ilvermorny | 3rd | 206.52 | 880.25 | Magpie |
| Durmstrang | 4th | 293.75 | 822.5 | KeepSmiling |
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. The subject line should be “Wizarding World News: [Name the section of the paper you are writing about]”.
Wizarding World News 