This month we interviewed Dane Lautner, a sixth-year Slytherin, Transfiguration Head Student, and Professor Assistant for Potions and History of Magic. He has been on HiH for no less than 8 years. He also has impressive grades in all the subjects taught at Hogwarts, which we must admit is quite stimulating. We found him in the Great Hall one evening at the Slytherin House Table and could not help but reach out to him for a quick interview. He immediately obliged, to our greatest delight.

This interview was conducted by Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.

Hiya - Hello there, Dane Lautner,

Good evening. I hope you had a great day at Hogwarts. May I take a few minutes from your busy schedule for a quick interview for the Hogwarts Monthly Magazine February 2024 Valentine's Special Issue?

Dane - I’d be happy to answer some questions!

Hiya - Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. I noticed on your HiH profile that you are a sixth-year student at Hogwarts, which must mean that you have been around for quite a while. I was also impressed by your high grades. I would like to start this interview by asking you how you manage to put up such an extraordinary performance on the academic front.

Dane - Well, I've always been someone who liked studying as much as I can. Maybe the main reason why I do well on the academic side is the fact that I have a strong background and I'm very nitpicky about how I write my assignments. If I am not convinced of an answer or essay, I do not accept submitting my work - and I feel that this is reflected in my grades.

Hiya - Wow. What do you most love about Hogwarts, and what do you most love about HiH? What, if anything, would you wish changed about HiH?

Dane - The thing I like the most about Hogwarts is having the opportunity to try my hand at different practical classes. I reckon that most Muggle fields tend to be theoretical, but this is not the case when it comes to magic. As for HiH, all the effort placed into writing classes by the Professors is probably the best component of the website: there's a lot of passion in the content and it shows! If I could change anything about the website, it would be to ensure that it operated better from a technical standpoint. Many features, such as the feeds, have been broken for more than years, whereas other features that are not of the community's interest, such as Hogwartle, get implemented. I really wish that Keith listened more to what the community wanted and fixed what is broken.

Hiya - I love what you said about magic. How did you become a Harry Potter fan? Who would you say is your favorite witch or wizard from the era when Harry Potter was a Hogwarts student?

Dane - That's a tough one. I got into Harry Potter because I liked reading a lot as a child, and the books were so hyped at the time that I could not help but pick them up! Personally, Draco Malfoy is my favourite character - for me, he represents the duality of good and evil, and the fact that we can break away from vicious cycles with effort and conscientiousness.

Hiya - What a unique choice. If not Hogwarts, which school would you want to study at and why?

Dane - I'd love to go to Durmstrang! I know that Durmstrang has a negative reputation because of its Dark Arts course, but I believe that the best way to deal with threats is to understand them completely, including from the inside-out. After all, we do study Dark Arts to a certain degree in DADA as well: we cannot forget that all jinxes, hexes and curses are all part of that group.

Hiya - I agree with you there. I noticed that you were sorted into Slytherin House. Why do you think the Sorting Hat must have put you in Slytherin? If you could be in any other house of your choice, which house would you pick?

Dane - I tend to be very ambitious and I don't settle for little goals: when I joined HiH, I did so with the express intent to complete as many courses as possible, and to attain high grades overall - in fact, I plan to take all NEWTs and, hopefully, attain an Outstanding in all of them once the exams are released. If not a part of Slytherin... then I'd likely be a Ravenclaw, as I do have some erudite tendencies.

Hiya - That's interesting. Which subjects at Hogwarts are your favorites? Are there any subjects you do not enjoy or would say you are struggling with?

Dane - Personally, Potions and Ancient Runes have always been my favourite classes, whereas Ancient Studies is probably my least favourite. I think that Ancient Studies has so much potential, but it was not explored to its fullest - it's a pity that all classes feel very similar to one another in that course!

Hiya - I love Ancient Runes, too. What are your interests and hobbies outside Hogwarts?

Dane - Outside Hogwarts, I enjoy all types of roller coasters and thrill rides. Most of my trips abroad, nowadays, are centered around new coasters that I want to ride!

Hiya - You sound like a thrill-seeker and an adventurous person. I am under the impression that you are the Head Student for Transfiguration and a Professor Assistant (PA) for both Potions and History of Magic. I must say that is quite inspiring. What do you love about the subjects you are a Professor Assistant for? If you had to be a PA for yet another subject, which subject would you choose?

Dane - It's no secret that Potions has always been my favourite course - I've waxed lyrical about it ever since these classes were first written by Professor Batyaeva. Honestly, the intertwine between the wizarding world and mundane science is what appeals to me the most in both Potions and Transfiguration. If given the chance to PA for another course, I'd likely choose Ancient Runes.

Hiya - Interesting choices, indeed. How does it feel to be a PA? What is your favorite aspect of PAship? What kind of assignments do you find thrilling to grade?

Dane - Being able to read what other students wrote for their assignments, and how that differs from my interpretation, is probably the best part of being a PA. There are so many ways to tackle a task, and sometimes we aren't even aware of these endless possibilities. Personally, I love grading assignments that deal with hypotheses ("devise a theory on why magic reacts in this way in this scenario, and support it with good arguments"), but anything that's argumentative ranks high in my list.

Hiya - Is it difficult to maintain your studies as a PA?

Dane - I wouldn't say so, no. I'm mostly finished with the available lessons, barring a few exceptions, so being a PA does not make it hard to keep up with content.

Hiya - I certainly noticed that. How do you manage toggling between the Muggle world and Hogwarts? Do you think time-turners are very useful for this purpose? Does it help that HiH is self-paced?

Dane - I frequently use both sides of the coin as a way to do something different. In my daily life, I have to write a lot about law, so being able to do HiH assignments is a great respite from my daily grind. The self-paced nature of HiH does help a lot, too! As for Time-Turners, since HiH is self-paced, I have not been assigned one by the Ministry nor have the particular need for that artefact, so I cannot comment on its usefulness.

Hiya - That sounds like a really good way to manage your time effectively. What would be your general message to all the other students in this school?

Dane - I'd say that more than anything, HiH is a work of passion. Be passionate, be bold and have fun while you are experimenting with things. While you're studying, you're in the prime moment to make mistakes and see what works best - so do not be afraid to take risks!

Hiya - It was a pleasure to interview you, Dane. Thank you so much.

At the end of the interview, I was left glowing from his boundless energy and cheerful friendliness.

- Hiya Debnath, Journalist, Editor-In-Chief, Compiler, Publisher, Hogwarts Monthly Magazine.