By Billy Raven
I thought this idea rad and joined in with a question, but found the one my house mate asked to be an informative one and decided to only do that one. I put my personal comments in (�) so you can see my thoughts and I am sure some of you had similar ones, lol. So Keato had asked, �To any Professor that happens to check this topic: Where you first a student here at PADs before you became a Professor and if so which house where you in?
Professor Lockhart: �Yes I was a student here for a year before I became a professor and I�ve always been a Hufflepuff.� (This sounds about right knowing what we know about Professor Lockhart and those placed in Hufflepuff.)
Professor Ripley: �Since it is my sister's site and she was looking for help and teachers, I came as a professor and at first was HOH of Slytherin. I taught four classes at first, but am now down to the two that are nearest and dearest to my heart.� (Pays to have family run only the best site on the web, right? And we love having her over Penshire, she just doesn�t seem like a Slytherin to me.)
Professor O�Connell said: �I was a Penshire student for two years before I became a Professor.� (We miss him greatly, Gryffindor are lucky to have him!)
Professor Opal: �Yes, I was a student for three or four years (I've lost track), but back then I was still in Gryffindor.� (This one is easy to see, she has the heart of a lion, strong and she is nice too, I know, what does that have to do with lions, but maybe that is why she got the HOH job.)
Professor Snape: �As for being a student here, no, though my 'cannon' character was...this will answer three questions; yes I know Alba in real life as I too was ask to come and help, thus my entrance and I chose the name because he is most like my personality. Besides...someone had to keep Lockhart in check.� (He is always entertaining, always fair, and always scary��if you are a first year Hufflepuff!)
Professor Bliss: �I was a Ravenclaw student for 3 years-ish before becoming the Herbology teacher.� (I have always known her as a professor, and she seems like a great fit in Slytherin as AHOH, so she must have had some Slytherin traits.)
Professor Riddle: �Yes, I was in Slytherin.� (No surprise here! LOL)
By Bry Casten
Point-earning is finished for this term, but there�s still news from the Writing Club! As announced by Professor Dickinson, the club has closed for now in order to finish grading and gathering the points since the last check. The club has just celebrated its last double-points day of the term�a roaring success if I may say so myself! Finally, Professor Dickinson is accepting applications for assistants from each of the six houses. There was no specific due-date given for the applications, but if you�re interested you should get them in right away! This is a great opportunity to get involved with the school, so check it out!
By Moaning Myrtle
There have been two topics recently from the Headmistress concerning changes in the year to come�and no, I�m not talking about the new staff. That is a given�even I wouldn�t be so obvious as to point that out. No, the changes I�m talking about involve our new library... an area that has been shrouded deep in mystery for so long.
Mystery. Ha! As a Hogwarts ghost I would like to say that I have more than the normal amount of information, having secret ways to get around the castle and find out what I need. Under strict orders, however, I cannot say more than this: the library changes are definitely on the way, and they will be quite uplifting as seen after our current library situation. I hope you�re all looking forward to it, because I certainly am!
By Luna Lovegood
Ariene Callahan, Ravenclaw third year, took a swim in the lake earlier this month to find something quite surprising happen to her: her blonde hair had turned...GREEN! When asked to comment on her new hair color, we got two quotes from the girl. One was "Green, it's an even worse color than orange!" It's pretty self explanatory, is it not? She doesn't like it. The other quote was "And it looks like something from the black lagoon. My poor beautiful hair." Yes, her poor hair. So, a warning to all who want to take a swim in the lake; your hair could change color.
By Bryony Casten
�We have to win the House Cup.�
�I know.�
With those words, Sapphire Lyze and I set to work. We knew we had our work cut out for us, for Ravenclaw is ahead by a few thousand points and are no doubt working even harder still, trying to secure a victory for their house. But there is no way were are going to let them just take it easily� on Wednesday, May 28th, we sat down together (we are sisters in real life), and made an oath to do everything in our power to win the cup for Penshire. We discussed everything�lessons, clubs, house magazines, and the Owl Gazette.
�We still have two more days, you know. The deadline was extended.� And with that began the frantic writing. Our initial goal: 100 articles between ourselves. That was reached by the yesterday (Thursday) night. And what were we supposed to do all day today? Write articles, of course. The more the better. We vowed to make this issue �the biggest OG ever.� They�ll never know what hit them, we said.
And so we worked. Up to the last minute we wrote (or write, rather, since it is nearly eleven pm on Friday as I speak), bouncing ideas off each other, scouring the boards for any hint of something we could write about. Looking at how much we have done right now, I would like to say we were pretty successful� but we�ll only really know when all articles from other houses are turned in and the OG is published. So I ask you, now that the final product has been released� how�d we do?
By Summer Raine
I created a poll to see what everyone's favorite season was. Poor winter, no one voted for it! How sad! Fall got 4 votes making them the 2nd least liked season. In second place came spring with 5 votes, so summer must be the most favorite season! It had 6 votes.
Some people explained why which season was their favorite. Here are some of them:
Professor Opal said this: "I love all the seasons, but summer is probably my favorite. I love warm weather, and summer fashion is my fav! I look forward to summer thunderstorms and cold glasses of iced tea. Oh, and going to the movies with my friends who I haven't seen in awhile."
Hilary Stevens said: "It would have to be... Summer! Because of the beautiful weather mainly! I love the whole not-raining-much concept, and any excuse to dive into the nearest patch of water is fine by me! And water fights rock out. Besides, the whole fashion things pretty cool too. I adore summer clothes too. All my best ones are summer suitable."
Roxanne Whitez picked summer, and here's why: "I voted for summer for the coolest reasons ever, joking. But I did vote for summer because my birthday's during summer and it's sometimes the best season to go out and have some fun. Minus all the heat and broken air conditioning (that I've never had to experience yet) and blinding sunlight, it's my love. But I honestly love lots of things of other seasons. Like the time when the leaves are still budded and all of the buds are the same light green colors. I realized I loved that a lot. They're the color changes in autumn or fall, as most of us call it, and the lovely breeze that comes along with the aftermath of summer. Winter ... well, I like it when there's snow on the branches and the snow in the fields aren't like, walked on or anything. "
Audrea answer was this: "It's all about spring, baby. I don't like weather that's too hot, but in spring when the flowers start blooming and the grass gets green again, I just feel so comfortable (except when it rains)"
Hermy_own said this: "Spring's my favorite, too. It's not too hot, not too cold. I also like seeing the green grass for the first time in a while and all the new flowers blooming."
Lynn Jennings put this as her answer: "Fall is amazing because it has the best weather. It's nice and cool, but not freezing. Plus, it's cool to run around in all the leaves that fall. Ok, call me immature, but I love it. Two of my favorite holidays are in the fall as well-- Halloween and my birthday-- both in the same month! Sure, fall means I have to go back to school. But, hey, who wouldn't want to go to Hogwarts? Not to mention, I'll get to try out all my newly schemed pranks and ideas on the professors!"
I have to say I'm flattered that most everyone likes summer best , but with all these long answers to one simple question, you have to ask yourself, what is your favorite season?
By Arya Drottningu
Summer Levy, the current Witch Weekly Editor has made it known to the Ravenclaw house that she will be unable to continue with the role. This being known, the house of Ravenclaw has started the search for a new editor who would do well in the position. We will know who would do well in this position in time soon to come!
By A Penshire Contributor
Even with End of Term coming every closer with the passing days, that doesn�t mean that Penshire is at all slacking off in their common room posting. The final post tallies will be taken any day now, and Penshire has not only been posting their hearts out in old topics, but starting new ones too! The Chit Chat section has seen recent increase in topics, new RPGs are being started every day, and even new games are being created for students to play and post in. Sure, it means more work for the staff when it comes to saving threads and cleaning up, but nobody�s complaining�activity is always a good thing!
By Moaning Myrtle
I doubt I even really need to write this article, but some of the more shy students might do well to see why contributing to the Owl Gazette is such a good idea! The OG has been our school newspaper for years now, and it relies primarily on the students of this fine institution to keep it up and running! Submitting articles to the Owl Gazette gets your named published for everyone to see, your voice heard, and points for your house! It�s a win-win situation any way you look at it� even I can see that, and I�m not usually one to be positive!
Why to Participate in Contests
By Moaning Myrtle
Both the Inter House Contests and Monthly Contests are great ways to explore your creativity, give something back to Hogwarts, and show your unique ideas all in one! (You can tell I�ve been living with the Penshires when I start to talk like this). Every month or bi-monthly Hogwarts offers contests for either the houses to work on all together or for single people (or groups up to three people) to work on together. Contests are usually in some way integrated into the school (past examples have been the renovations of shops, additions to the castles, and, most recently, a biography of the newest founder). Not only that, but they�re loads of fun (for most people) and earn points for your house. Look out for new contests coming soon to a Bulletin Board near you.
By Moaning Myrtle
Even though classes are drawing to a close, this should give you something to think about and mull over during the summer while you debate not whether, but which classes you should take next term. Classes are offered from September-June here at PAD�s Hogwarts, and are something that every single student should participate in. After all, we are a school, correct? The Professors put hard work into creating the lessons, and it�s only right that students should be around to make all that work worth something. You�ll earn house points and learn new facts both at the same time!
By Moaning Myrtle
Most people know by now that posting in your common room is one of the fundamental �do�s� here at Hogwarts, but there have definitely been a few people who are more than a little shy at getting started or who seem to only ever post on the BB! The CRs are important too! Your housemates should be like your family here at Hogwarts, and the common rooms are the best place to get to know them. Not only that, but the house with the most posts in the common room at the end of the year gets extra points from PAD! If that�s not incentive, I don�t know what is!
By Moaning Myrtle
Even though classes are closing for the summer, most of the clubs here at Hogwarts stay open, so summer term is the perfect time to dive into something new and try it out! Clubs are run by both students and professors, a lot of time with students doing the leg-work and professors overseeing the whole thing. They offer a creative outlet for all sorts of things�the Art Club and Writing and Poetry Clubs, for instance, are huge hits around school. Some bring people together, like Different Faiths One Place, a club made specifically to discuss and share religious views. Clubs have activities that students can participate in and point opportunities, so in addition to making friends and trying something new, you�ll be helping out your house as well!
By A Penshire Writer
This month and last have been big ones for the House Magazines� most houses are reaching their 25th issues and beyond. After over two years of publication, the house magazines, a PAD�s Hogwarts created idea, are still going strong. The initial house mags took a while to really get started�having just a few articles and images per month. Recently, though, with the stakes constantly being raised higher and higher, houses are going above and beyond what they�ve ever done before, bringing their house magazines to heights we�ve never dreamed of reaching. Witch Weekly has been celebrating recently by focusing on each Hogwarts Head of House in turn, giving them each an issue to themselves. Penshire recently released their 25th issue, and Slytherin�s Daily Prophet just closed in on 20 (if I�m not mistaken). All in all, the houses are doing great and publications are coming out every month. A big congrats to everyone who writes for their house and helps keep this unique idea going!