Firstly, we have our interview with Evony Senoj, 

Hazel- Hello there, Evony,

Good morning. 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 Seasonal Magazine Summer 2024 Issue?

Thank you,

Hazel

Evony- Oh! Sure! It would be a pleasure. ^.^

Hazel- Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. I noticed that your academic grades are quite impressive. I would like to start this interview by asking you how you manage to put up such an extraordinary performance on the academic front.

Evony- I love studying and learning, and I am a bit competitive. I take the lessons seriously, sometimes reading them multiple times and taking notes. I also really take my time with the assignments; I double check my notes, and I pay very close attention to instructions, which typically tell you everything you need to succeed. I don't complete my classes super fast (I am still only a Second Year), but I truly do try my best on everything I do.

Hazel- Everything you're doing is sure in an amazing way! What do you most love about Hogwarts, and what do you most love about HiH? What, if anything, would you wish changed about HiH?

Evony- I love the magic! I love that HiH offers a genuine school-like experience; I love that many professors integrate real-world / Muggle concepts into the lessons; and I love that there are people who volunteer their time to actually read and respond to my work. There's really no place like HiH; they do it right.

Hazel Whitlock-I completely agree, HiH is a great place! What, if anything, would you wish changed about HiH?

Evony Senoj- I think it would be fun if there were more site-wide activities for students to work together collaboratively and have the ability to comment/react to each other (maybe a forum?). I also wish it was easier to get updates from friends and professors (like a socials feed?), rather than having to go out of my way to visit their wall to see if they've posted anything.

Hazel Whitlock- Those are completely understandable changes that you would make, and I think I would do the same. 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?

Evony Senoj- I grabbed the first Harry Potter book while in a checkout line at the grocery store. The first movie had just come out in theaters, but we didn't go to the movies often, so I decided to get the book. Although I thought the book was "alright", I didn't continue the series because I had a lot of other interests at the time and other books on my TBR. It wasn't until I finally watched the first few movies, that I got excited about Harry Potter and decided to read the series - and I am very glad that I did! I ended up loving the books once I got into them.

Of course, back then, they were just books and movies. It wasn't until I discovered HiH that I really became immersed in the wizarding world.

Hazel Whitlock-Wow, such an interesting way you became a fan! Who would you say is your favorite witch or wizard from the era when Harry Potter was a Hogwarts student?

Evony Senoj- Severus Snape is probably my favorite character. Although he is by no means perfect, he is one of the most complex and developed characters in the series. He is powerful, creative, clever, manipulative, and overall tragic. He shows us that Slytherins are not all bad, and he teaches us that love is more important than hate and to always do right by the ones we love, even if it's the most difficult thing we'll ever do.

However, I will also always have a special place in my heart for the quirky and lovable Luna Lovegood, who teaches us to march to the beat of our own heartbeat.

Hazel Whitlock- Your choices are so cool, I also really like the characters, Luna and Severus. If not Hogwarts, which school would you want to study at and why?

Evony Senoj- Because of my great love for Transfiguration, I would love to study at Uagadou School of Magic. They are well known for their specialization in Self-Transfiguration, facilitating students' journey to become animagi, and teaching wandless spellcasting. I think there is a lot of powerful magic I could learn there.

Hazel Whitlock- Even though I've never heard of the school, it sounds really interesting! 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?

Evony Senoj- I am very much a Slytherclaw, so if I were in any house other than Slytherin, it would be Ravenclaw. I love reading, writing, and learning, and I consider myself wise, clever, and somewhat creative. However, if I look deep and am honest with myself, my academic and intellectual pursuits come from Slytherin motivations. I am competitive and ambitious, and my main focus is on gaining (collecting) achievements - it is not fun for me if there isn't an end goal, something I can point to and say "I did that!"

Hazel Whitlock- A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw, love the mix of houses! Which subjects at Hogwarts are your favorites? Are there any subjects you do not enjoy or would say you are struggling with?

Evony Senoj- I haven't had the chance to take many electives yet, so I'll just focus on the cores for this question.

My favorite subjects are: Transfiguration because I love the imaginative magic of morphing something into something else, and the course has wonderful organization and writing; Charms because it provides such a great general coverage of spellcasting, and we get to learn so many spells (aside from Y2, pfft); and Flying because it is fun (it encourages great role play, and I absolutely love the interactive assignments).

I wouldn't want to call these "least favorite subjects" because I find them all interesting, but History of Magic can drag sometimes with a lot of facts and not much action, and Astronomy and Potions are definitely more challenging - good thing I love the struggle!

Hazel Whitlock- Oooh, all your favorite subjects sound so fun! What are your interests and hobbies outside Hogwarts?

Evony Senoj- I apologize for late response!

I enjoy reading, writing, bujo (bullet journaling), yoga, and Muggle video games! (And procrastinating by watching productivity videos on Muggle YouTube, haha!)

Hazel Whitlock- No worries. Bujo? Hmm, never heard of that one, might learn more about it! 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?

Evony Senoj- I love so much about PAing for the subjects I do! I'll try to be brief, haha:

Transfiguration was my first love and my first PA job! I love seeing the creativity some students have in describing the magic of transfiguration - I am also a big nerd fan of composition, so Transfiguration's emphasis on description writing is so much fun for me!

As a Charms PA, I am surrounded by such wonderful people! The Charms PA chat is always active and delightful to be in. I have learned so much from my teammates there, and we just have a lot of fun with jokes, encouraging messages, polls, role plays... I love it! As far as the subject of Charms itself, I love that I get to meet all the new students through Charms - it is the unspoken basic starting class with its emphasis on general spellcasting! I love welcoming students to Hogwarts, reading their backstories of how they discovered magic and how they acquired their wand... The Charms queue is truly a magical place to be!

I must guiltily admit... Fly is my favorite class to grade. The assignments are so light-hearted and fun, so I feel like grading goes by so fast! We get a lot of really excited students in Fly, who can't wait to jump on a broomstick and either prove their skill or overcome their fear! Again, an absolutely magical class to have the privilege to grade for!

I certainly do not think I could keep up with grading for ANOTHER subject, but... if I had to choose, I suppose I would love to grade for.... (mentally debating between Astronomy - where the feedback I receive as a student is always so fun and encouraging; DADA - where we get to explore both dark magic and creatures; and...) Potions. There are a lot of creative assignments in Potions that I think would be fun to grade, I've always loved the idea of brewing precise and calculated magic, I love getting a new perspective on Herbology and CoMC by learning about all the different ingredients, AND... I've heard from a friend that Potions has the very best-designed rubrics around!

Hazel Whitlock- Nice! Your second choice is a great one too! 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?

Evony Senoj- To me, being a PA is a great privilege! As a student, I love the idea that someone actually reads my assignments, and I am always thrilled to get personalized feedback. I want to give this same feeling to other students, making them feel seen, feel heard, feel special. For me, the “real feel” of the classes is what makes HiH great! I love to have the opportunity to be a part of that.

The kinds of assignments I love to grade are the ones that encourage creativity for students. For example, essays/questions that require students to use spells to solve problems or to create a scenario in which they might use a spell. I also love reading student’s unique backstories, so Introductory essays are always fun!

Hazel Whitlock- You're an amazing PA, and I love how you explain what PAing really means to you. Is it difficult to maintain your studies as a PA?

Evony Senoj- YES. There are many times when I know I have a limited amount of personal time to login to HiH, I get excited to finally get back to class and… Oh, the queues need clearing. So I spend the remaining time grading, haha!

Hazel Whitlock- There might be a few times, but you're doing a great job at it! 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?

Evony Senoj- Managing my life in the Muggle world alongside my life at Hogwarts can be a challenge sometimes. I find it very important to constantly remind myself of my priorities and often reevaluate my time management - bujo is great for this purpose! It also helps that I have now surrounded myself with many supportive people in my life that know and understand. It does help that HiH is self-paced… I mean, I’ve been a Second Year student for quite some time now… haha!

If there were any time-turners still in existence, I certainly wouldn’t mind having one!

Hazel Whitlock- Cool! Time turners, well, me too. Your backstory says something about you wanting to consider a future career in the Department of Mysteries or as a magizoologist who specializes in tracking and eliminating poachers. Why did you think of these? Also, would you like to tell us why your patronus is a Manx cat?

Evony Senoj- As a Second Year, I do not fully have my magical future mapped out, but I do know that I love to have a purpose.

I love the mysterious intrigue of being an Unspeakable at the MoM - what would I do there? I’m not sure; the job isn’t talked about much!

Otherwise, I do love magical creatures, but I would not want to be a traditional magizoologist that just studies the animals or works in an office; I like the idea of magizoologists that do what Aurors do: track down the bad guys!

I don’t know if everyone always knows why their patronus takes the form it does, but I believe mine is a Manx cat because, like most cats, they are curious but reserved, independent but affectionate (can you tell I’m a Gemini?), and the Manx cat in particular is a bit abnormal, but still very lovable!

Hazel Whitlock-I think you're going to have a great future! Hmm, I don't know, but if you feel like a Gemini, you're most likely a Gemini. Manx cats are great, and it's so cool that your Patronus is a Manx cat. What would be your general message to all the other students in this school?

Evony Senoj- Keep working hard like a Hufflepuff! Think like a Slytherin: prioritize the tasks (Muggle or magical) that give the greatest return to you. Channel your inner Gryffindor and don’t get discouraged! And - hey, Ravenclaws! - remember that DONE is always better than perfect!

Hazel Whitlock- Such a great message, I'm sure all the students will carry this message with them into their futures. It was a pleasure to interview you, Evony. Thank you so much.

Evony Senoj- Thank you Hazel!

Secondly, our interview with Timothy Walsh

Kyra: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer. I noticed that your academic grades are quite impressive. I would like to start this interview by asking you how you manage to put up such an extraordinary performance on the academic front.

Timothy Walsh: I joined HiH soon after it was launched in 2013. Ten years is a lot of time to do assignments. I'm taking all but two of the courses and I keep up with all the lessons, right up to Year Seven. Having done so many assignments, I was able to earn a lot of house points.

Kyra: Wow, that’s really impressive! Ten years seems like a long time. What do you most love about Hogwarts, and what do you most love about HiH? What, if anything, would you wish changed about HiH?

Timothy Walsh: What I love most about Hogwarts is that it teaches magic. What I love most about HiH is that the courses go far beyond what is available in either the Harry Potter books or any other Harry Potter website. What I would like to change is to be able to access my own transcript.

Kyra: Yes, I completely agree! How did you become a Harry Potter fan? Who would you say is your favourite witch or wizard from the era when Harry Potter was a Hogwarts student?

Timothy Walsh: I became a Harry Potter fan because my wife suggested that I buy the Harry Potter books while we were in London, England. Then four of the books had been published. I bought them and read them. I became a fan after reading the chapter in the first book in which Harry Potter was told by Hagrid that he was a wizard and could leave his abusive home life and go to an alternate universe. My favourite witch is Luna Lovegood because she says what she thinks.

Kyra: That’s exciting. Me too! Luna’s such an amazing character. If not Hogwarts, which school would you want to study at and why?

Timothy Walsh: Beauxbatons would be my second choice because it's gentler than Durmstrang and I understand French.

Kyra: What a great choice! I noticed that you were sorted into Ravenclaw House. Why do you think the Sorting Hat must have put you in Ravenclaw? If you could be in any other house of your choice, which house would you pick?

Timothy Walsh: I have a PhD in mathematics and have over 50 publications in journals and conference proceedings as external referees. That would indicate that I'm smart enough to get sorted into Ravenclaw. I admire the Hufflepuff traits of industry and loyalty more than wit, courage, or cunning, so Hufflepuff would have been my second choice.

Kyra: Well done! You certainly do well in Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff is such a cool house! Which subjects at Hogwarts are your favourites? Are there any subjects you do not enjoy or would say you are struggling with?

Timothy Walsh: Obviously Astronomy is my favourite; that's why I'm a PA in that course. My other favourites, in no particular order, are Transfiguration, Muggle Studies, and Flying. The only two courses I don't think I'd enjoy are Divination, because I have no faith in it, and Magical Arts, because I can't draw, so I'm not taking those courses. I like all the courses I am taking. The most difficult one for me is Herbology, but I still enjoy it.

Kyra: Great choices! What are your interests and hobbies outside Hogwarts?

Timothy Walsh: My main interest in the Muggle world is music. I arrange music for a recorder orchestra to which I belong and for a string quartet to which I don't belong, and I also compose music.

Kyra: That's fantastic! I’ve always wanted to learn how to play a recorder and composing music must be hard! 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?

Timothy Walsh: I love Astronomy because I'm imagining an alternate universe on a habitable planet somewhere in the solar system or beyond it. I also grade Muggle Studies unofficially.

Kyra: Astronomy is great! How does it feel to be a PA? What is your favourite aspect of PAship? What kind of assignments do you find thrilling to grade?

Timothy Walsh: I like to be a PA because I get to interact with students. I used to be a university mathematics professor until I retired. I enjoy teaching, and being a PA is the next best thing to being a professor at HiH. The assignments I most like to grade are the ones that require logical thinking and/or calculations.

Kyra: You’re a great PA! Is it difficult to maintain your studies as a PA?

Timothy Walsh: It's not difficult because in the Muggle world I'm already retired.

Kyra: 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?

Timothy Walsh: I log on to HiH and log off again to do the toggling. I wouldn't need a time turner because the toggling I just mentioned works. It helps that HiH is self-paced because students can join the site at any time without missing lessons and can do assignments when they have the time instead of having to do them when they're busy in the Muggle world.

Kyra: Yes, HiH is great! What would be your general message to all the other students in this school?

Timothy Walsh: This is the best Potter-related web site for those who like to take lessons and do assignments. For other purposes there or other websites that are more suitable.

Come back next season for even more fasicnating interviews!!