By Bry Casten
It was quite a long time ago when the announcement of the Owlery renovation was made, and yet now that the changes have been implemented the tower of animals is still rather lonely�though perhaps it�s just because most people aren�t aware of the changes! For those of you who haven�t seen the new look, the Owlery has now been reorganized into not only sections for each of the animals, but also into house sections, each house having its own team of students tending to and taking care of the animals registered there. And don�t let the name deceive you�the Owlery holds not only owls but also dogs, cats, fish, gorillas� you name it, there�s a place for it! So if you haven�t already, take your pet up to the Owlery and try it out!
By Arya Drottningu
The End of Term is coming soon! Ravenclaw realizes this with excitement and stress, and once it comes, the house is celebrating! You can't go through a whole term of hard work and fun without having a great big celebration at the end, can you? We don't think so! You might see frosting on our faces whenever we happen to venture out of the Common Room, and you'll know what we've been doing. :P
By Billy Raven
Erin Collins, one of the Penshire braincases came up with this idea, Just post phobias (and there meanings, of course!) She said, �If you don't know any and don't feel like looking for some, then make one up.� (ex: wizkiphobia- fear of the smilie!) I made some comments after a few, but found them pretty interesting, can you guess the �made-up� ones?
Phobophobia- Fear of phobias
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia- Fear of long words (I guess you would be afraid to even say this phobia if you have it!)
Claustrophobia - fear of tight spaces (Using the Floo Powder is out of the question then?)
Cpocolocynposis: fear of turning into a pumpkin [afraid of cinderella anyone?]
Craneeaphobiatisticthingy, afraid of the crane. (There are no craneeaphobiatisics in Penshire!)
Bufonophobia- Fear of toads (I bet Professor Snape does not have this phobia.)
Hypnophobia- Fear of sleep
Williamphobia - fear of people named William. (Hey! Who said that?)
Xenophobia - Fear of foreigners or aliens.
Aerophobia - fear of swallowing air
Neophobia. - Fear of anything new (This person would be a great one to �re-gift� to!)
Motorphobia. - Fear of automobiles
Phalacrophobia - fear of becoming bald
Hobophobia - fear of beggars
Barophobia - fear of gravity
Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing (These would make great Survivor participates!)
Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens
Asymmetriphobia - Fear of asymmetrical things. (OK, this one is too weird!)
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers (Won�t be taking Arithmancy any time soon!)
Bogyphobia- Fear of bogeys or the bogeyman (Guess they never grew out of it, huh?)
Phasmophobia.- Fear of ghosts. (This one cracked me up!!!)
By Bryony Casten
I�ll admit it� I stalk the Online Lists. There is something oddly attractive about clicking that button and being able to see exactly what it is the other members are looking at, where they�re posting, what they�re reading. I know I�m not the only one who does it� but I may be the only one who admits it.
Admitting it, however, also allows me to announce a recent discovery I made in the past few weeks� Penshire�s obsession with the Deletion Count. Why is it that seven times out of ten (yes, I completely made that number up off the top of my head) there is a Penshire student looking through the deletion count, reading old threads that don�t mean anything any more? Are they searching for a long-lost secret on how to beat the Ravens and win the House Cup? Do they think that Professor Ripley hides cookies in there, where only those who look hard enough will be able to find them? Is it just a way to reminisce on times past, remembering the oh-so-wonderful times we�ve had in the common room?
Or is it something else that I am just totally missing? If anyone knows the secret, please, let me in on it, because suddenly �Deletion Count� has become the hottest spot in the CR. Who would have guessed?
By Ava Black
I just read a new book by Diana Wynne Jones! It is called The Chronicles of Chrestomanci. It is about a magical family called The Chants! It is a different take on the supernatural and magical world but one I am sure you will love. Cat Chant was a character you will want as your best friend. There are other books in the series but I have only read the first one. I think it will help if you are feeling remorse over no new Harry Potter books this summer! Be sure to check this one out!!
By Sir Hugo Tien
One of the first things that I saw when I stepped foot into the house of Ravenclaw is that many people have three icons in their signatures. They're either a picture of a celebrity or some Ravenclaw-themed icon. And they always came in threes. Not two. Not one. Three. We'll see what the next new thing will be.
By Arya Drottningu
Another trend has started in Ravenclaw. Everyone's using three icons in their signatures! Whether they're icon-sized pictures of a person's celebrity or icons representing Ravenclaw, they always come in threes! Not two next to each other, not one. Three. It's almost certain that this "trend" will pass, but, at the moment it's the new "in thing."
By The Poll Watcher
Sapphire recently made a poll in the PCR encouraging members to share which Harry Potter book was their favorite and why. It�s a question often asked, but I�d like to think that we Penshires brought the discussion up a notch. The final result was that Sorcerer�s Stone, Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix, and Deathly Hallows all tied for first place, but it wasn�t so much the plain answers that were important so much as the discussion behind why. Here are some quotes from those who participate in the poll.
�I loved the Goblet of Fire because it was packed with humor and action,� said Ava Black.
�I enjoyed Deathly Hallows the most,� said Evan Murdoch, �mostly because it was interesting to see what the Wizarding World would have been like if Voldemort had killed Harry and the Wizarding World stayed the same. I also enjoyed "The Final Battle.� Eileen liked Prisoner of Azkaban�� I absolutely adore POA!!!! I think that it's because Harry finally gets some kind of family in his life and he is now able to get a more intimate look at his parents through Sirius and Remus since he found out that they were his parents' best friends,� she said in the poll.
And me? I had a rather lengthy explanation. Billy even suggested I submit it to the Gazette, since I bothered to write him all� and so I am taking his advice. My favorite was the Order of the Phoenix, and here�s why.
OoTP is where the hardcore plot begins (when you look at the series overall rather than book-by-book), and because that book prompted the most emotion from me (minus Book Seven, but that is perhaps my least favorite of the series right now).
Looking at them overall, (which I believe you must do in order to evaluate which book is your favorite), the breakdown seems to go something like this:
Book One: Introduction > We get to know some of the main characters and the basics of the "Harry Potter World."
Book Two: Rising Action > Very much a continuous story from the first book. In Chamber of Secrets we learn more about the original characters and add a little more plot into the mix, giving them experience and a solid history.
Book Three: Introduction Part Two > Prisoner of Azkaban was very different from either of its two previous books. For once Voldemort was only a threat, (and did not make a major appearance). Rather the focus was on Harry and the relationships he had already made, adding in the new major character Sirius Black. The whole purpose of this book, as I see it, is to introduce Sirius, while continuing to give the other characters a solid background for future adventures.
Book Four: Setup > This is where we finally begin the whole point of the series. Harry Potter must fight Voldemort. As thus, at the end of Goblet of Fire Voldemort comes back, thus allowing Harry to fulfill his destiny. The Triwizard Tournament gave good background, provided for an interesting sub-plot, and developed characters, but more than anything else it provided a reason for Harry and Cedric to be in the graveyard when Voldemort returned.
Book Five: The Keystone > Although the War hasn't yet begun in Order of the Phoenix, darkness begins to set in for this novel. The characters, after four books of being schoolchildren, are beginning to mature and make important decisions based on their past experiences. The reason I call it the keystone is as thus: every event that is yet to come has important roots in Book Five. There is nothing that occurs in Half Blood Prince or Deathly Hallows that does not have an immediate and vital connection to characters or events in book five. Take this one out and EVERYTHING falls apart.
Book Six: Rising Action Part Two > I never said that rising action isn't exciting. The Half Blood Prince begins the war and puts everything into place for the climax of Book Seven. Sure, it has a fascinating plot and great developments, but it's really all just leading up to the ultimate ending.
Book Seven: The Final Ultimo > The climax of the series, bringing every single action of past books together in one cohesive entity, wrapping it up in a huge fight and lots of killing, and leaving us off with two chapters of falling action and a quick ending.
Soo... looking at all that, I chose the fifth book, Order of the Phoenix, to be my favorite, because, as stated above, I see it as the most important-- when reading it I was filled with anticipation, because it was like-- "look at what this is setting up. It's bound to be good." It had some major character revelations and was the first book in which I felt real grief (but not so much so that I became numb to it, which happened in the last book).
By The Poll Watcher
One of the best polls I�ve seen throughout my whole time at Hogwarts (and believe me, that�s a pretty long time!) was recently created by Sapphie in the PCR. Its focus was on the recent trouble with J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Lexicon. Sapphie asked Penshire members whether they believed that Rowling should have sole rights to her work, or if Lexicon should be allowed to publish. The results in the Penshire common room were in favor of Ms Rowling, but the discussion that followed was unlike any other!
Billy Raven outlined one argument well. �It's not about the money, she said, when asked, that the money from her dictionary was ALL going to charities. (like FBWTFD, and the Quiddtich book). She said she didn't need the money, it wasn't about that it was about her characters and all. I think the Lexicon is a good place to find stuff, but I don't think they have the right to make a book because all the infor on their is HER information, they just put it together and organized her stuff,� he explained.
Other students agreed with what he said, extrapolating on the subject about the world being Rowling�s creation and her personal connection to it, let alone legal rights. The fact that it was simply their organization rather than their work seemed to play most in people�s minds.
Sapphie and Vladmir offered another view (although Vlad agreed that Rowling had rights, but we were looking for someone to play devil�s advocate). �As the first systematic classification of the universe of HP, there doesn't exist any prior artwork. Can an artist copyright a universe, or are we stealing from her by role-playing our own characters based on her creation?� Vlad brought up a good point, and one that we pondered over for quite a while.
�I understand that Harry Potter is her creation and that she has the right to keep Lexicon from publishing it, but I honestly think she is just being selfish and stubborn. If they want to make it easier for us to learn more about Harry Potter, than she shouldn't be putting her foot down and saying that they're not allowed to do that. She's going to be busy writing her mystery novel series soon, so a Harry Potter Encyclopedia probably never crossed her mind to make, nor will she have the time to make it,� argued Sapphire Lyze.
The debating could go back and forth all day, but for us (or for me, at least) the important part isn�t coming to one definitive answer, but rather hearing all sides of the story and having a spirited discussion!
By The Poll Watcher
Shortly after a poll about our favorite Harry Potter book showed up another soon followed: this one based around our favorite Harry Potter movie. Unlike the book poll, this one showed more definitive answers� Harry Potter and the Sorcerer�s Stone came in an easy first, with Order of the Phoenix a few votes behind.
Head Girl Ava Black was one who chose the first movie as her fave. �Sorcerer's stone because it is what 'started' this all for me! I also loved seeing the castle for the first time and when Hagrid says ' your a wizard Harry' - those moments are just too good!� On the other side of the coin, Senior Prefect Samuel Craft preferred Order of the Phoenix. �This was kind of a tough one. I think that each movie sort of brings a different genre to the table. For instance, I think PoA is the funniest movie out of them all, whereas I think GoF really explains a good chunk of the book, but then there's OotP where most of the scenes are not too long, which is sometimes good. All in all, I chose Order of the Phoenix as my favorite movie, just beause I found the ending to be absolutely amazing!�
While Penshires vary on their favorite movie, there is one thing we all agree one: every single one of the Harry Potter films is top-notch!
By A Penshire Contributor
A poll was started not long ago in the PCR about where their favorite place in the common room was. Of the votes, the top places were the General and RPG sections�not a surprise, when you really think about it! While Announcements is important, Lockers allow us to take classes, and HP discussions is always bringing up something new, it is in the General section that we really get to relax and get to know each other and in the RPG section that we can develop our characters and have a blast writing stories together. It�s not surprising Penshire chose those two forums as their favorites!
By Sir Hugo Tien
The End-of-term has come and Ravenclaw is celebrating! After a term of hardwork and sacrifice, we're ready to sit down and relax. All the people who are alive will have fun eating their cake and ice cream and I'll have fun watching them eat. *laughs a little* Now, get out your noisemakers and make some noise!
By A Penshire Contributor
It�s about time! The RPG School Grounds forum always slacks off a little bit during the colder months�though for sure there are the select few that prefer to walk around in the bitter cold romantically catching snowflakes on their tongues, regardless of the fact that the snowflakes are so small you never even know if you�ve caught them, and people who like to try ice-skating on the lake, oblivious to the fact that there are probably quite a few places in which the ice is too thin and you are bound to fall through. Sure, there are a few weirdoes out there, but for the most part the Grounds quiet down in the winter.
This year they took a while to get started up again. The spring moved slowly, only a few new RPs popping up in the great outdoors� but now, with summer just ahead, the Hogwarts grounds have indeed picked up again. In the Penshire common room four or five topics have been started in the past two weeks alone, all focusing on the great outdoors and hangouts on the Hogwarts Grounds. That�s the clincher of the season, my friends�when people start swimming in the lake with the giant squid, you know summer is on its way.
By a Slytherin
1.Make sure that you've done all of your lessons
2.So that you're not accountable and have professors hunting you down because you didn't finish the work for their class.
3.Spend time outside with your friends.
4. Because you're probably going to be shoed outside anyway, and you might as well beat them to it.
5.Get your respective common room cleaned out and ready for the new class of students coming.
6.So that you're not made an example of to the new first years.
7. Sign up and take some of the classes offered during the summer term.
8. In order to not forget everything that you've "learned" during the year.
9. Make up new "stories" about the castle to "tell" the new first years.
10. So the new second years won't be able to warn them.
By A Penshire
Deirdre Torrey, more commonly known as �D� to her housemates, has taken a leave of absence the past� year. She�s been busy with school and work and a whole assortment of things *coughboyfriendscough* But the Penshire Spam topic saw a visitor the other day� a visitor it had missed dearly for the past few months.
I�m sure by now you�ve guessed who that visitor was. Yes, it was our very own Deirdre Torrey. Out of school for the summer and now working at a summer camp for small children as a counselor, D took the time to stop in and say hello to the housemates she has missed (and who have missed her back), so dearly. Is she here to stay? Only time will tell!
By A Penshire Contributor
There has been one thread getting more and more attention in the PCR�and that is Samuel�s Signatures in the Poems/Stories/Art section. Sam Craft has been making signatures for the members of Penshire since as long as I can remember�and they just keep getting better and better! Sam will always take requests and is constantly surprising us with new and improved formats and styles of his sigs. Every now and then he�ll even surprise a member or two with a signature they didn�t ask for�just as a gift from him to them. I am sure that in the coming term nothing will change�except to get better, of course! Thanks Sam for all the work you�ve done making our signatures look better than we�d ever imagined!