by Lily Fey
Key to Acing the Year
Year 43! A new year, and a new chance to prove yourself. Once again, you're intending to hand in ALL your homework on time and score O's in as many subjects as possible. And then you start to wonder how students can manage the year with a Time-Turner.
Wonder no longer! I have found two Hermiones among the Hogwarts students who have used a Time-Turner all year: Evie and Annelise (and funny enough, they are both Ravenclaws ), who took eight and nine classes respectively, last year. I asked them the secret to passing the year with such a heavy courseload.
Evie: "Secret? There is no secret! It's the same as taking five or six subjects and passing! It gets a little harder with more homework, but if you budget your time or work fast and efficiently, it's not much harder than taking 6 classes.”
Annelise: "Just map out the week and have a plan to complete the classes," Annelise adds. "My goal is to spend time and complete the classes earlier as opposed to later so I am not ever close to the Sunday deadline."
Evie: "Besides, actually liking the homework is often enough motivation to get it done. If you don't like homework, I wouldn't suggest taking so many classes, especially if it's only because you want to become OWL ready in as many classes as possible."
What is your favourite subject?
Annelise: "That's so hard. I really love Potions and a new class I am taking this year, Care of Magical Creatures. I enjoy doing all the homework! My favorite classes are the ones that ask me to actually perform the steps. As in, to attempt the spell or make the potion. Transfiguration and Potions are both amazing courses if you enjoy that immersive aspect. I also like fact finding courses, like Astronomy and Magical Healing, because I learn so much and that is what makes myHogwarts so amazing."
Evie: "This is like asking which HP character is my favorite! I can't possibly choose! I love all the subjects in many different ways. Some of my favorites are CoMC, HoM, and Transfiguration. CoMC is one that I consistently enjoy because of the mix between research-based and creative questions and because there's always some humor and excitement! The practicals are a really fun feature that I can't imagine CoMC without! I love HoM because of how well the lessons are written and how they make me think deeper and about stuff that I normally would never think about! Transfiguration is like the science class of the magical world, and science is one of my favorite subjects. In this class, I get to speculate and write about the nature of some of the more inexplainable parts of magic and it feels almost as though I'm writing the rules of magic as I write my homework!"
Now, the most important question. Do you ever panic about the massive amount of homework that you have yet to complete? How do you deal with it?
Evie: "Yes, yes I do panic sometimes. I cope by talking to my mH friends, since they're all so supportive, and get rid of the panic by eating a snack or reading a chapter of my book really quickly. The best thing to do is to start with the easiest homework, then gradually work your way to the hardest. More often than not, I get my homework in on time this way."
Annelise: "I prioritize the homework that I am doing, usually I try to have it all done by Thursday or Friday. This means I sit down and typically complete two or three classes a night. I've always reached the Sunday deadline, so I never really panic."
It seems that it takes lots of self discipline to use a Time-Turner. Do you plan on keeping such a tight schedule next year?
Annelise: "Yes! I definitely plan to take nine classes again, or at least seven or eight. I have had fun doing it and it's a great way to get OWL ready."
Evie: "This year for me is my first OWL year, I don't plan on using a Time-Turner."
Now you all know: planning is the key to acing your exams. And even though the year is only just starting, the time to start is now (the most hated sentence for all procrastinators ). If you start with the easiest homework, the massive pile of assignment will slowly shrink. I wish you all the best of luck in year 43!
St. Valentine - A Hero of Love
by chloecs
Seasons of... Love! Oh hi! All this love in the air and Summer Camp are definitely getting to me. The site is bustling, as we invite in new students to the site, Summer Camp is slowly coming to an end, and we have all been sharing our love with one another and giving appreciation to all our amazing friends on mH. Congrats to all those sorted so far and or coming back onto the site. I hope you have an amazing time throughout your wonderful journey.
Now back to Valentine's day. Madame Puddifoot's opened once again for the occasion, which includes lots of Valentine's Day themed games, polls, discussions and more. It's a great place to spend time - single or not. Most of us have probably celebrated Valentine's Day all our lives, whether it be with a loved spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, or just some good old friends, it's a good time to show and spread love in a world full of too much hate, but where did Valentine's Day ever start? What is the history of Valentine's Day?
Many do know of St. Valentine as part of the work behind this day full of love, but who is this man? He seems to be a man of mystery, with only a couple different stories known about his life, no one sure of which one is accurate. Some say he was a priest, living in third century Rome. When the marriage of young men was outlawed by Emperor Claudius II, the tale says that he still went about performing marriages for young couples, illegally. One day though, he was caught and sentenced to death, being made a martyr by the Catholic Church later on.
Another tale tells that he was involved in helping Christian prisoners escape harsh, unbearable Roman prisons. Part of this tale tells of Valentine himself being locked in a Roman prison, where he fell madly in love with a girl, probably the jailor's daughter. She would visit him regularly, keeping him company. It is said this is when the first valentine card/note was written. He had written a letter for his lover, signing the end, "From your Valentine." No matter the story, this loving, mysterious man would start a tradition right there that would evolve over the years into what we have today, the modern Valentine's Day.
Super Special Student Shops: The Beginning
By Katie4410
Hello all! I'm Kate, a new columnist for The Quibbler, and I am proud to present "Super Special Student Shops", otherwise known as S.S.S.S. Since this is a new concept, I'm pretty sure S.S.S.S. is a foreign term for all of you.
In the next few issues, I am going to be reviewing all the shops in Stoatshead Hill, including all of my favorite items to be found there, the perfect gift to get your friend, the perfect item to get yourself, and, in short, what each shop sells.
Any person who does not wish for me to review their shop, please just send me a PM. Interviews will not be held; these are just some of my responses to the shops. I hope you will enjoy S.S.S.S.
Now, with out further ado: Lumos!
The first shop you'll see is this shop, where you can find anything bright. From Bluebell Flames to Lava Lamps, they have got it all. I also applaud their prices, which are both affordable and reasonable. My personal favorite items are the Crayon Candles. These candles are layered, and there is an insane amount of colors to choose from. After glancing for an incredible amount of time, I shall choose one with the colors "Magic Mint", "Vivid Violet", and "Turquoise Blue". It's the perfect thing to spice up your dorm.
But what to get your friends? If you have a buddy that's becoming an Of-Age, Graduation Lumination is the way to go. Graduation Lumination are "Pendants complete with Deluminator magicology to always point you back to your friends no matter how far away you are". A perfect present for one of your student friends is a lava lamp. These are the coolest of Muggle inventions, and they even have them in House colors. Again, anything that gives your dorm that extra flair is a good thing.
Finally, most important: What to get yourself? I am personally in love with the Jar of Bluebell Flames. If there's a Quidditch match that you want to go to, but the weather is horrific, then this is the way to go. Besides that, they look very cool and they never burn out. In fact, I already placed my order for it.
That concludes my review for Lumos. Thanks for reading until the end, and I'll see you in the next issue!
