By Fiona Chauvet
Every morning the students of Hogwarts wake up to find their common rooms clean and tidy. They enter the Great Hall to see a delicious breakfast eagerly waiting for them. There are so many things we take for granted, and how often do we stop to think about the hard working creatures who make all these things possible for us? I decided to head down to the Kitchens and see if I could get an interview with one of these creatures.
For those of you not quite into adventuring, the Kitchens are located in the dungeons. There�s a painting of a bowl of fruit, and to enter you need to tickle the pear. It�s a little silly, but believe me, it works. Once I gained access I was quickly welcomed by three or four large eyed creatures. Some students may not be familiar with house elves. These creatures are short, have large eyes and bat-like ears. They commonly wear grungy fabrics to symbolize their enslavement. The house elves at Hogwarts do not, because they are technically free to come and go as they please.
These house elves were eager to offer me an assortment of foods and drinks. I politely declined, but soon after another house elf came up to me and introduced himself as Pindy. He offered to give me a tour, since according to him he really enjoyed showing the students around. Pindy offered me another scone, but not wanting to seem rude I accepted it.
Although these creatures appear strange and odd looking, they�re probably some of the kindest creatures in our magical world. I plan to share my investigation in future issues of the Gazette where I will tell you of my interview with Pindy and things I uncovered about the underappreciated ones at Hogwarts.
By Teagan Kincade
I don't like April Fool's Day. Along with everyday occurrences such as beds disappearing, wacky signs of each other appearing, and playful insults mixing in the air, April Fool's Day brings many more pranks to the Huff common room. For instance, Ron came screaming for blood from his dorm when he found glitter and crushed egg shells spread everywhere. Julia found baby bunnies in her cereal, so she adopted one as her avatar all in good fun. Professor Lockhart put Zoey in the stocks for a change when he found his shampoo turned his hair purple, and December came squealing in terror from her dorm when she found heart-shaped "I love you's" signed by Ron on her pillow.
Unfortunately, I did not escape unscathed. Julia pushed me down a hidden laundry shoot, Zoey stole my bed and replaced it with kangaroos, Professor Lockhart gave Ron permission to beat me up, and Ron cross-dressed as Rolanda and sneaked into my dorm to sabotage EVERYTHING. Meanwhile, December paid back the favor, and I almost had a heart attack when I found "I love yous" from Captain Morrigan in my locker.
I don't like April Fool's Day.
By An Anonymous Badger
One day while walking through the Hufflepuff common room I came up on two of my housemates arguing, and upon asking them what it was about they said they were just practicing what they would say to their �dear HOH� the next time they got caught doing something they shouldn�t be.
Zoey: I didn't order the house elves to turn Professor Lockhart�s robes all bubble gum pink.... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't chop a large chunk of Lockie's hair off...Zo did
Zoey: I didn't put goat dung in Professor Lockhart�s shoes... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't steal all of Professor Lockhart's robes and replace them with girls robes....Zo did.
Zoey: I didn't put green dye in professor Lockharts toothpaste... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't replace Lockie's precious shampoos with bottles of foul smelling cologne....Zo did.
Zoey: I didn't cast a spell on Professor Lockhart to make him grow really long ear hair... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't cast a spell on Lockie and make his armpit hair grow so long that it drags on the ground, Zo did.
Zoey: Ewwww!! I didn't charm Professor Lockhart�s hair to look like Professor Snapes... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't charm Prof. Lockhart into looking like a girl with blonde hair...Zo did.
Zoey: I didn't put makeup on Professor Lockhart while he was sleeping... That really was all Ron.
Ron: It was that one time and you'll never let me live it down, will you? I didn't throw tomatoes at Lockhart's robes....Zo did.
Zoey: Nope not a chance. I didn't put pretty bows in Professor Lockhart�s hair, Ron did.
Ron: I didn't draw all over Prof. Lockhart's dorm walls...Zo did.
Zoey: didn't write "I love PAD" all over students tests Professor Lockhart was supposed to be grading.... Ron did.
Ron: I didn't trash Lockie's room....Zo did.
I�m not exactly sure which one should be declared the winner here, but I do all of a sudden feel sorry for Professor Lockhart for having such� sweet children under his charge.
By A Penshire Contributor
Most people associate the coming of April with spring, rain, Easter, midterms, what have you. Nearly everyone knows that �April showers bring May flowers.� But how many people know that April, very much like November, is a time of frantic writing for thousands of people around the world?
During the month of November a number of PAD�s Hogwarts students participated in National Novel Writing Month, a term often shorted to �NaNoWriMo,� and those participating in it often called simply �Wrimos.� PAD�s wrimos had a blast attempting to write fifty-thousand words each in the month of November. Some of us managed to complete the task, some of us came very close, and some of us didn�t even make it to ten thousand words� but that�s okay, because every single one of us had a great time trying.
April once again brings us to a month of frantic writing�this time in the form of Script Frenzy. Script Frenzy is a challenge that goes out to every person: attempt to write a one-hundred page script in a single month. It can be a stageplay, screenplay, television show, adaptation of a novel�anything goes, as long as it�s scripted and one-hundred percent written by you. PAD�s members had a great time in November� I expect the same from April.
So give it a go. You might actually surprise yourself.
By Ariene Callahan
Move over Professor Opal, you have some competition! Meet the newest artist of avatars to grace Hogwarts, Ciria Cresentlight. Ciria is a member of the house of Hufflepuff, though her wit and genius would be more complimentary to Ravenclaw, but the sorting hat never lies! I myself have requested an avatar from Ciria, and was not disappointed. She has quickly had a growing fan base, and nothing but compliments have been raved about young Miss Cresentlight. Perhaps a shop is in her immediate future? I�ve been unable to track down the busy Miss Cresentlight, but I guarantee her work is marvelous. So in the mood for a new avatar? Stop by Ciria�s thread on the BB! You will not be disappointed! It�s almost worthy of worshippers, *wink*
By the House of Slytherin
We had a survey going as to how you found this great place, here are some replies, names and names of �friends� have been remove, each answer starts with a symbol to indicate a new answer.
~ I was googling HP sites, and I found Mugglenet. Mugglenet is AWESOME, and has a link to here.
~ I have an RPG resume that spans five years and about thirty sites...all of which have long gone the way of the dodo. I was desperate for a good Harry Potter RP, so I did a Google search on Harry Potter RPGs and found PAD's.
~ I was searching for HP sites for a friend on Msn and I found Puddifoots and once I Found Puddifoots (Which coincidentally is a very useful sight) and from Pudifoots I found PAD�s.
~ I googled HP RPG sites 'cause I was bored
~ Actually a member directed me here..I know her in RL..So when she found out I was a HP freak she gave me the address to here...And for that she has my thanks..
~ I have relatives here who got me to join. So you see, it pays to have friends, relatives, and a perchance to surf the web to find a great place to come to!
By Penshire #4
A question came up in the Penshire Common Room about two weeks ago debating the size, shape, color, and just general look of a "feeling." You know what I mean�a feeling. The things that sometimes get hurt when people say something mean, that can be stretchy sometimes but occasionally are hit in some sensitive spot and then�bam. The place where all those individual emotions are kept, possible. The question that was asked in the CR was: If you had to draw a feeling, (not an emotion, mind you!) what would it look like and why? Here are some of Penshire's answers.
Riley West pictured feelings like clouds, or possibly bubbles. In that sense, if someone were to hurt your feelings, the cloud or bubble might burst or pop. Samuel Craft took a slightly different route�he pictured feelings to look like a snowman�one that could melt accordingly, mind you. Lynexe Couronne and Ava Black had very similar answers, both describing feelings in a much different way than those before them�as the sky (as in Lynexe's case), or as a beach scene with a storm brewing over the ocean (as in Ava's case). They both saw these scenes as all-encompassing and full of depth�everything you could possibly feel all rolled into one.
The answers didn't stop there. From Amanda seeing them as colors to Rose's hearts and Bryony's Connect-Four board, the answers were wide and varied�but all full of thought and definitely unique to each person. I for one found it to be a fascinating discussion and look forward to many more like it.
By Gawyn Crossguard
When camping, one must be prepared for all sorts of unexpected weather, because often times he or she will be a long way from any kind of permanent shelter.
One of the most important items of clothing is boots. Improper boots always makes for a horrible experience. So, it's of the up most importance to have good boots when backpacking.
It's extremely important that the boots fit well. If the boots are too small, they'll cause major cramps in the feet, and the way the weight of the backpack is distributed to the feet can cause damage. However, if the boots are too large, blisters occur, and the chance of infection is not something anyone wants to worry about while out in the middle of nowhere.
Waterproofing and snake-bite proofing are not necessary, but they definitely help. Snakes are usually more afraid of people than people are of them, so as long as a camper doesn't go looking for trouble, he or she should be alright with just regular shoes or boots. Waterproofing is nice, because one can walk through streams and creeks without getting wet feet, or having to look for stepping stones to cross, but it's possible to get over a stream without waterproof shoes, and socks always dry.
That's why I always elect to wear pink polka-dotted rain boots when I go camping. They're practical, they alert animals to stay clear, they're waterproof, and they're the coolest things in the world. I would recommend them to anyone who asked my opinion.
APRIL FOOL'S! The boots part is accurate, but I don't have rain boots, and I wouldn't wear even a spot of pink even if my life depended on it.
By Billy Raven
Often we use words or phases we can�t really put a finger on the meaning or are hard to �touch�, here is a few examples of these. We tried to come up with an odd word or phrase that describes something, wrote a definition.
Bill, to bill, or billing. Billing is a type of precipitation that is too slow to be rain or a storm, is too fast to be sprinkling, is too spread out to be a shower, is too close together to be dripping, and the drops are too big to be mist, but are too small to be anything else.
Love. To love. Its a strange feeling no one really understands but knows....desires, treasures it but at the same time ignores it until something happens that makes you realize its there again....it something that is like the air...you can breath it and sense it...but you cant touch it...you just have to trust it...if its true then its forever......keep the air free and clean.....you�ll see what will flourish
Tinpicks ~ similar to a toothpick, but used only for holding large sandwiches together and are made of tin. Popular in the 30s before it was discovered that tin and food were not a good mix and people were getting sick. Tinpicks today are used for holding on pumpkin-decorations onto craved pumpkins for Halloween.
Don't go so fast, you might break your eggs-
My grandmother used to say this to my mother when she was a kid. She said it when my mom was moving slowly (obviously being sarcastic). My grandmother used to live in a small village in Greece (she said it to my mother in Greek, but I didn't feel like typing it all out), so that's where the expression originally came from.
Sue- To take something from a person due to a meany-head thing they did to you.
By Ariene Callahan
Senior Prefect, could not be a more appropriate title for Miss Summer Joan Levy. Ravenclaw houses one of the most loveable older prefects of this magical institution. Perhaps this all began upon talk of who's birthday fell when, and who was older. Then the idea of presenting each other with funny and irrelevant presents was discussed, and who could resist!? Especially not one curly, pink-haired, part-veela who adores jokes and anything of a humorous nature. I bragged to Summer that come her birthday, I would bestow her with the essential birthday package: a cane, dentures, wrinkle cream, memory boosting vitamins, and depends (insert smirk and laugh here). Then once you give a Ravenclaw the ammunition, you better stand back and watch it explode. Within moments, it was the current running joke of Ravenclaw, and one too good to resist.
As the days progressed, however, we began to see evidence to support our "joke". Summer was witnessed with a short temper (directed at innocent Lucius) and forgetting little things. Emma Staunton and Erica Lovegood are two such witnesses. I interviewed them recently, and they told me of a chilling incident, a few days ago. The Ravenclaw girls were walking up the stairs, preparing to enter the Ravenclaw Common Room, when they were met with Summer. The senior prefect was standing stock still, her bag on the floor, papers spilled everywhere, and a look upon her face, which one would expect of Luna Lovegood. After attempting to get her attention (to no avail), Erica and Emma were forced to enter the RCR, and seek out help. Thirty minutes later, and several exhausted Ravenclaws, they had managed to get Summer moved into the common room. When Summer came back to reality, she was astounded at what had happened. All she could say was that she'd simply, 'blanked out and forgotten where she was, who she was and what she was doing.' Could this be the end of Summer's reign as senior prefect? Is Ravenclaw on the brink of loosing one of their more beloved members?
There are good days and bad days. Sometimes Summer will forget recent events, and her irritability has grown more unpredictable. Those outside the RCR have this skewed belief that she is "the sweetest person alive". This person obviously hasn't spent countless hours with the devious, but perfectly deceiving senior prefect. Summer has countless times left her dentures out on the tables, and couches, where an unsuspecting Claw will sit upon, and screech with surprise. Perhaps it's time to call in the forces of Madam Pomfrey.
By Teagan Kincade
You guessed it. Zoey Taylor is yet again creating trouble! First, it was reported that she had a plenitude of snapshots of no other than Gawyn Crossguard! From my sources, I heard that the pictures are taped to the mirrors in her dorm and her locker, and that she kisses each picture at night before going to sleep. Zoey's growing obsession for the Gryffindor Hottie has not lessened either, as it has also been reported that Gawyn's current girlfriend, Roxanne Whitez, sternly lectured the poor boy.
Not too long after the lecture, Gawyn was actually caught alone in the Great Hall chat with Zoey by none other than myself! They were, and I quote, "learning more about each other," when I asked. I heard rumors that Zoey was caught at yet another time to be in the Great Hall Chat alone with Gawyn by Roxanne, but I have yet to go for interviews. More next time!
By Beonca Aims
So, what does that mean, �mad as a March hare�? If you read Alice in Wonderland, you know Lewis Carroll had a March Hare at the Mad Tea Party with the Mad Hatter and he was a bit �mad� to say the least. But did you know the phrase, mad as a March hare was a common phrase during Carroll�s time? It is based on the hare�s behavior at the beginning of the breeding
season in Britain. See, the female hares weren�t
always interested in the male�s advances early in the
breeding season. It was found that the females
actually �boxed� the male hares using the forelegs
(back paws) to put a stop to their advances. For a
long time, it was thought that the fights were between
males who were competing for the female�s attention.
However on further investigation, it was discovered
that the fights were actually a feisty bunch of female
hares who were �hopping� mad.
By Kaylee Keigwin
As everyone now knows, this month's top Wizarding band is the Parselmouths! They have produced two albums, and will be performing shortly in an area which can only be located through portkey (this way secure from Muggles, click here. Below you can check out the titles of their songs.
1. Hey Guys (Intro)
2. The Parselmouths Say Hello
3. Being in Slytherin is Not Half Bad
4. Eat Slugs
5. Kicking House Elves
6. Daddy's Tattoo
7. Life's Unfair
8. Two Classes
9. Let's Get Hagrid Fired
10. What Kind of Name is Hermione?
11. Shut Down SPEW
12. When You're a Parselmouth
13. I've Been Dead for Fifty Years
14. Hermione (Acoustic)
* Did you know? This album can now be purchased on the secret Wireless Wizarding Network station known as iTunes!
1. Illegal Love Potion
2. It's Not Half Bad (remix)
3. Myrtle's Always There
4. Love Song for Professor Lupin
5. In Which Green is the Best Color
6. Quidditch is My Favorite Sport
7. Prerequisites
8. I Went With Draco to the Yule Ball
9. Where is Draco?
10. Who Are These Boyz?
11. Who is Blaise Zabini?
12. Oh Dumbledore
Be sure to check out the Gazette next month to see the top Wizard rock bands, and what you should be blasting in your humble abodes!