art by Joanna Quinn

Football Match; Gryffindors against Ravenclaws

Written By Julianna Granger

Edited By: Jonsu Ann Nevalain 

Rules:

I have taken seven voluntary members from each House (in this case Ravenclaw and Gryffindor) and have taken note of everyone’s House Points. (Taken note of August 16th.) Then I added up everyone’s House Points and the House with the highest amount of points would win the game. I have also placed the players in order; from highest amount of points to lowest. I know that the second years have a disadvantage in that way, but the whole ranking from highest to lowest is only so that I can use a random number generator to determine who will score goals and such. In order to get my results, in case anyone is wondering, I calculated the difference of points between the two houses. Then, I divided the difference as much as I could (in this case it was by nine). The answer I received was the difference between the winning team and losing team. Next, in order to find the losing team’s amount of goals, I took the first letter of everyone’s name and changed it to numerical value (i.e. J=10). After adding that all up, I divided it as much as I could (by 21) to see how many goals each team would get. As for who got the goals; I followed everyone’s ranked number and used a random number generator to determine who got goals. *Please take note that I have put the players in positions of my choice.*Field map: GoalieR Defender L DefenderMidfieldR Forward M Forward L Forward*Please take note that this diagram is not completely correct, just mostly what the field would look like considering I have a smaller amount of players.* 

Without further ado, let me introduce to you the Ravenclaw team, led by Captain Skye Lunar! Skye Lunar-Midfield, Chiyoko Amaterasu-Middle Forward, Jo Skarbek-Right Defense, Athena Pond-Right Forward, Celeste DeWitt-Goalie, Melimar Lec-Left Forward, and Nessie Von Teese-Left Defense! Now, here come the Gryffindors, led by their Captain, Captain Veela Covington! Veela Covington-Left Forward, Zoe Colpaert-Right Forward, Alyssa Cardon-Middle Forward, Fritz (Mariah) Barnes-Left Defender, Shelby Thiessen-Right Defender, Manroop Bhamra-Midfield, and Tara Weasley-Goalie!

Alright, the two Captains have approached the referee, and Captain Veela Covington of the Gryffindor team has won first ball! The whistle blows and Gryffindor is going strong! Already, Forwards Veelas Covington, Alyssa Cardon, and Zoe Colpaert have dribbled down the field and taken a shot at Ravenclaw’s goalie. Unfortunately, not nearly strong enough; Celeste DeWitt sends it way down the field and the Ravenclaw's are off! Ravenclaw’s Athena Pond, Chiyoko Amaterasu, and Melimar Lec, with help from Midfield Skye Lunar, are dribbling down the field confidently! And here they go; with a shot on Gryffindor goalie, Tara Weasley! She grabs the ball and performs an incredible kick; airborne it keeps flying, right through Celeste DeWitt’s outstretched arms! That’s a goal for Gryffindor, done by their goalie, Tara Weasley! Truly an incredible goal, and Celeste DeWitt was an amazing keeper, going to extremes trying to stop that ball. Unfortunately for the Ravenclaw's, their efforts didn’t pay off. Gryffindor's have the ball again, after a bad pass from the Ravenclaw's. They’ve dribbled it down, and Alyssa Cardon, confident, shoots a top shelf and scores! The Gryffindor's are wild! The Ravenclaw's may need to pick up their pace! Ravenclaw's are becoming a bit more physical, Zoe Colpaert, Right Forward for the Gryffs, steals the ball away and is dodging people! She gets to the net, winds up a little, and shoots! Right in the bottom corner; a wonderful goal! Ravenclaw's pass the ball, and as they push to get to the net, the ball is out. Middle Forward, Alyssa Cardon from the Gryffindor team does an incredible throw-in to Manroop Bhamra, Midfield, who dribbles through the defense, dodges out Celeste DeWitt and shoots. And scores! Here’s the Gryffindor team, high-fiving each other, and at the other end, Celeste giving a pep-talk. Those defenders should really keep on their checks!

Now, let’s take a break from watching the game to announce our fun fact! Did you know, every time you lick a postal stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie. Remember folks, the Slytherin and Hufflepuff football/soccer teams are still looking for players. Please contact Julianna Granger, the events organizer, for more information.

And looking back at the game; Fritz (Mariah) Barnes, Left Defense has ventured forward and has already scored two goals during the fun facts we were going over. That puts Gryffindor 6-0. And my, this is getting shocking at Gryffindor’s strength! With some excellent passes, Zoe Colpaert has just scored a hat-trick, putting Gryffindor 9-0. The whistle has been blown, marking half-time. Currently, Gryffindor is upping Ravenclaw by nine. Hopefully the future is bright for them! Tara Weasley, Alyssa Cardon, and Manroop Bhamra have each scored one goal. Fritz (Mariah) Barnes has scored two and Zoe Colpaert has scored four! Congratulations Gryffindors!

Alright, the teams are heading back out onto the field, the Ravenclaw's looking very determined! The whistle blows and the Ravenclaw's dribble, here they go! An amazing pass back to Midfield Skye Lunar who boots it into the net! Ravenclaw scores! The Ravenclaw's are getting more determined, and the Gryffindor's are still sort of not in the play, who could blame them? The Gryffindor's  pass and dribble around the excited Ravenclaw's, then a pass back to Left Defender Fritz (Mariah) Barnes. An incredible shot all the way from half. The shot goes in! That’s Fritz (Mariah) Barnes’ third goal today! Ravenclaw's are dribbling, dribbling, and slide tackle! The ball goes out. Ravenclaw's continue down the field, but it’s not to be! A bad kick between the forwards and the ball goes to the Gryffindor's. The forwards continue to pass; Alyssa Cardon, Middle Forward for the Gryffs, takes a far-off shot, and at first, it looks like it’s going to miss the net! After rebounding off a Ravenclaw trying to stop it, the ball goes in the net! The Ravenclaw's are trying to go strong, but the ball is stolen away by Midfield Manroop Bhamra, who dodges Nessie Von Teese and shoots before Right Defense Jo Skarbek can get there. A goal! Putting Gryffindor 12-1 to Ravenclaw! The ball is off again, this time Ravenclaw is going strong! Oh, Forwards are getting open by the net, Melimar Lec does an incredible cross to Athena Pond, who shoots and scores! Congratulations Ravenclaw's! Now the Gryffindor's have just gone up the field and Oh! Amazing goal in top corner by Right Defense, Shelby Thiessen! Only a minute left! The Ravenclaw's dribble, as the Gryffindor's approach them, pass back to Right Defender, Jo Skarbek! Jo dribbles up the field, passes the ball and receives it again! Five seconds! Jo makes an amazing shot and scores! The whistle blows! Gryffindors have won the game 16-3! Even though the Gryffindor's won that by a while, the Ravenclaw's played extremely hard, and I definitely think that Jo Skarbek’s goal was the best in the whole game!

Now, before you go, please remember that all these people are amazing and awesome, because they let me use their names. They were all great soccer/football players, but after I calculated everything, the game had to go as planned, so that it would be fair! Also, please note, any comments, good or bad, can be owled directly to Julianna Granger, events coordinator. Julianna would love to hear what you think!

http://www.hogwartsishere.com/jgranger1375/

art by Joanna Quinn

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The Kitchen Cauldron

Written by Ivy Nettlebed

Edited by: Shelby Lincoln

Greetings fellow Witches and Wizards,

Tiggy has fallen ears over heels in love with one of the kitchen elves. She told me she would do anything to catch his attention and desperately requested a Love Potion. Perhaps you have the flutters for someone too?  This week’s magical recipe was submitted by one of our devoted readers, Jared Light Wolf.

A word of caution, Love Potions can have odd side effects so be very careful with this one! (Ever since brewing this for Tiggy I have been finding her spending far too much time with Smudge, my owl.)

Love Potion

Ingredients:

- Your favorite tea

- Berries (whatever you prefer, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.)

- 1 stick of butter (1/2 c.) room temp or slightly melted

- semi-sweet bakers chocolate or 1/3 Hershey’s bar

- sugar or honey (as much as needed to suit your taste)

- lemon juice

- sprig of mint or rosemary if you care to make your potion extra strength

Directions:

- First heat up water in the cauldron until it is boiling, then add in your favorite tea (this whole potion can be served either hot or cold depending on preference. ) As the tea is steeping bring out the mortar and pestle and mash up strawberries, raspberries, cherries and (optional-) blueberries. ... mashing them releases the juices and flavors better than just cutting and then add this to the cauldron.

- After adding the berries break off a small chunk of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate or about 1/3 of a Hershey's bar. Stir this all together and make sure the chocolate doesn't settle at the bottom and stick, once the chocolate goes in be sure to reduce heat to about medium. After the chocolate has melted and has been infused with the tea, add about half a teaspoon of lemon juice. Then either sugar and honey or just honey to your desired sweetness.

- Once the honey goes in (if you use both sugar and honey, do honey after sugar) fill your heart with thoughts of love and attracting love to your life (this is of course is intended as romantic love, however you can tweak it for family love or friendship love or just plain unconditional love period by neglecting the strawberries and use half as much chocolate).

- Then channel that out through your arm and hand, and impart that into the potion by tapping the cauldron 9 times. For extra strength add in the cauldron a mint leaf and or a sprig of rosemary.

- Let the whole potion steep about 20 minutes after reducing heat to low. Then turn heat off and strain the potion into tea cups/ mugs or strain it into a pitcher to be chilled. It is important that the maker of the potion take a sip from the whole batch as one- so if it is hot, use the spoon you stirred with, take a sip off the edge of that and then stir again or take one small sip from the edge of the pitcher when cold- be careful not to backwash! This allows you to be receiving of this magic in your life as you made it and you have to take the first sip to 'activate' it to work for you. Whoever else drinks it will in one way or another start to love you or love you more. Best if drank cold.

art by Joanna Quinn

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Hail to the Seekers: US Presidents & Quidditch

Written by: Jenny Harper

Edited by: Jonsu Ann Nevalain

Muggle US President, Barack Obama, announced this week that he would be attending his first ever Quidditch match, a match in the National Conference between Spearfish Seekers and Anacortes Aardvarks. Both sides had successful pre-seasons, with the Anacortes Aardvarks embarking on a tour of Europe while the Spearfish Seekers hosted a tournament with a number of teams from Asia, Oceania and Africa. In this issue, we look back at various bygone US Presidents and their relationships with Quidditch.

The relationship between Muggle US Presidents and Quidditch is not a straightforward one. It often comes down to the personal interests of the president in question and their willingness to embrace the magical world. All Presidents are made aware of the presence of the magical world shortly after taking office; however, the way they choose to use this information may vary.

For some, the magical world is of little interest and they spend little, if any time thinking about it. Instead, they prefer to focus purely on what they know (i.e. the Muggle world). Richard Nixon, for example, had little interest in the magical world and Quidditch. Likewise, neither Harry Truman nor William McKinley showed any interest in the sport, politely declining invitations to attend any matches.  However, other presidents may take a great deal of interest in the magical world, some of which may attend Quidditch matches (and even become supporters of a particular team!) although such presidents are of course sworn to confidentiality.

An example of the latter was Theodore Roosevelt, who attended his first match in 1902. The Muggle president was instantly captivated by the sport and became an ardent fan of the Roselle Ravens, who he had witnessed defeat the Mulberry Manatees in one of the most exciting matches of the 1902/03 season. During his presidency, Roosevelt attended as many matches as he was able and was even present as a guest of honour at the title deciding match between Frostburg Flash and Calistoga Cardinalsin Nevada.  

Other presidents have also embraced the sport. For example, Calvin Coolidge was reportedly a fan of the Somerton Stars after being invited to a match by the head of the Magical Congress of the United States of America, the US’s equivalent of the Ministry of Magic. Coolidge kept a scarf of the Somerton Stars in a drawer in the oval office. Thankfully, no Muggle ever found this scarf, and by the time Herbert Hoover became president (himself having little interest in Quidditch), the scarf had been removed from its hiding place by magical enforcement officers. The scarf now resides in the National Quidditch Museum in Glenrock, Wyoming.

William Howard Taft, upon being made aware of the presence of the magical world and Quidditch, began to take an interest in the sport and chose to support the most local team to where he was born, the Aliquippa Avengers. Although only making it to a couple of games, Taft remained a keen but distant following of the Avengers.

Going further back, following the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson was invited to the first match in the fledging US Quidditch League between the newly formed Mulvane Mavericks and the Lackawanna Lions (in those days, the US Quidditch League only had one league, the conference system being introduced in the latter half of the 19th century). Jefferson reportedly found the game amusing but not to his tastes. While Jefferson did pay some attention to Quidditch results, it was little more than an idle curiosity and he did not attend any further matches during the rest of his presidency.

Needless to say, some Presidents do become very active in their support for Quidditch teams, some going as far to regularly attend matches. Others do not see the attraction of the sport, preferring instead Muggle pastimes such as football and baseball. Perhaps Mr. Obama will end up becoming a fan of Seekers? That, however, remains to be seen.  

art by Joanna Quinn

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The Forbidden Forest: Cause for Caution

Written By: Luna Alexander

Edited By: Jonsu Ann Nevalain

As students of magic, we learn that there are rules and regulations established for our protection and the protection of others. (See a couple issues ago, article on the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee) However, some rules and guidelines are specific to Hogwarts; such as not performing magic between classes and not being able to disapparate or apparate on school grounds. Those can be construed as minor inconveniences. But one rule that only select few have dared break, but many have attempted, is entering the Forbidden Forest.

Some lucky students have been able to brave the Dark Forest while being supervised by a Professor. Other unlucky students are forced to go for detention. When Rubeus Hagrid taught Care of Magical Creatures, several lessons were held directly in the Forest. When Hogwarts hosted the Tri-Wizard tournament, the Forest was home to the dragons for one of the challenges. It holds many wonders and even more dangers.

The forest itself is said to be ancient. The trees have grown dense except for a few paths carved into it.  Any creature that has come to or from Hogwarts that is deemed unsafe, wild, or dangerous is released into the forest. This makes a very wide variety of inhabitants and an uncertain account of exactly what can be found there. 

We have evidence that the Forest is home to Unicorns, various non-magical creatures like birds and deer, giants, and Hippogriffs. Alluring as those can be, the Forbidden Forest is also home to Centaurs, trolls, the Thestrals, and an Acromantula colony. That alone should be enough cause to stay away. 

The beauties in the forest are far outweighed by the dangers. It is best to learn about these creatures from the safety of photographs or textbooks. One might catch a glimpse of a creature if it nears the edge of the forest, but that is the closest that students should come to something as dreadful as an Acromantula or a giant. 

art by Joanna Quinn