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| 59 |
| October |
| Though late, this is our Spookatcular issue! You will find the usual and unusuall here and we start off with a strange but true story! The last page will have plenty of party treats. So.........read and enjoy! |
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| The Phantom Cat
Professor Ripley For your spook-night pleasure, here is a �ghost� story; the names were changed to protect the innocent. Setting the scene, living out in the rural area, and I mean rural, we often see stray cats. The road I live off is called Bear Run Road, and from the one end of my road until you go down to Maple Creek, it is three miles and with only two residents on this side of the creek, my husband and I, and the Peterson�s. The road has a 25 mph speed limit due to it winding nature, no street lights, and the trees are right there next to the road making a canopy that only in winter does the road actually sees sunlight. Now Martha and George, our neighbors, have a Labrador retriever, two cockatiels, a miniature pincher, and two cats. The one cat stays in the garage, the other usually runs loose, his name is Reaper, the Lab is tied up and, of course the two birds and the small dog stay indoors. We have a cat, she stays indoors also, but for the last two years, I have noticed a buff-colored �wild� cat around the area that sometimes came in to eat the cat food I put out for the raccoons. For non-pets we have white-tail deer, raccoons (as mentioned), wild turkey, porcupines, pheasants, black bear, quail, geese (when heading north, or heading south because we have a pond), fox, coyote, and various other things that occasionally show up like bobcats. Now my property, we have about twenty acres with the pond. There is the north meadow, and about five acres of what I call the dark woods, which consist of hemlock and beech trees, both huge creating a canopy that closes out the sunlight, with no ground cover except for mossy rocks, pine needles and ferns. The other wooded areas surrounding the house and which include the south and west sides, are mostly white pines and hardwoods including hickory, oak, maple, popular, aspens with a spattering of arrowwood and hawthorn bushes. With that said, here is the story: Within the last two months, the black bear has gotten into our bird feeders, and we�ve spotted the bobcat twice actually in the yard, along with hearing the coyotes at night getting closer. Apparently the coyotes have young so you hear that one lone howl which is then joined in by the rest of the pack. Both these animals eat small prey including stray cats. With the sightings, Martha and I discussed the dangers for Reaper being loose, though her dog, Shadow, seemed to have been always ignored by the wild animals. That night, a bear came into her yard and after munching on her bird feeders, tore into the lattice work on the back deck, this was where Reaper stayed after hours and it seemed like the bear might have been after him because that morning Reaper was gone! That afternoon, my cat and I heard something go bump on my front porch, looking out, I didn�t see anything and dismissed it until I went out later and was surprised by the buff-colored stray laying, panting, on my front porch. Now this thing is pretty raggedy and matted, as strays often are, but he was also having trouble breathing and was bleeding around the mouth and nose. My heart stopped and I tried to go near him, but he emitted a low growl and well, I can�t afford to get rabbi shots. I went back into the house and brought out some food and water, hoping to help as best I could, because it was hurt and I knew dying. Meanwhile, Reaper is gone and to make a long sad story short, the stray stayed on my porch that whole day, bleeding and moving here and there, to get comfortable, until that evening it died. I was able to lay a towel down and put it on the soft cloth towards the end, but it was beyond help. The next morning, my husband took the body and placed it just inside the �dark� woods and we were going to bury it when he got home from work, he had found a real nice spot under a huge hemlock just a few feet into the woods; the cat looked like he was taking a nap, lying peacefully on the soft bed of pine needles. We forgot that night when he came home, but after dark, I heard a cat crying out. You know, like when they need help like one stuck up in a tree, it was deep into the dark woods and I thought of Reaper. That morning, I heard the cat again and I went into the wood, passing the dead stray which I made a mental note to have my husband bury it that night, and starting looking for the cat who was calling, nothing, I came back home. That afternoon, again I heard the cat and went off looking crossing the meadow and into the back part of the dark woods�again nothing, and came back home. By late afternoon the cat was calling again, so I rung Martha up and her and I went into the dark woods looking; we both heard it, but again nothing. That night my husband came home and we were going to bury the stray, but when we went into the woods�it was gone! Not a hair, fuzz ball, or any markings as to its very existence was anywhere. It had simply disappeared but we both heard the cat call. By the third morning, I heard it again, and Martha and I went looking, this time she too heard it, but each time we neared where we thought the sound was coming from, it would stop. It was driving me crazy! For three days this cat would start meowing, it got to the point I didn�t want to go outside for fear of hearing the mournful cries. Was it the dead stray calling out reminding me that we did not bury it? Was it Reaper needing rescuing? We will never know for by the morning of the fourth day, Martha called me and told me Reaper came home and the phantom cat quit calling never to be heard again. |
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| El d�a de los Muertos - The Day of the Dead
By El Mariachi (S) Halloween is celebrated on the evening of October 31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated with death and the supernatural. Halloween falls on the eve of All Saints� Day, also known as Allhallows or Hallowmas, a holy day in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. Originally a pagan festival of the dead, All Saints� Day was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century to honor Christian saints. All Souls� Day, a holy day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century, is also closely linked to Halloween. All Souls� Day, on November 2, is observed to help purify the spirits of the dead. Halloween is historically related to similar folk holidays celebrated in other countries. The Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday that coincides with All Souls� Day, blends Roman Catholic and Native American traditions about the souls of the dead. On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans decorate their homes with animated human skeletons, leave offerings of food for wandering spirits, and tend the graves of their deceased relatives. According to popular belief, on the Day of the Dead the spirits of the dead return to commune with the living. Families leave offerings for these spirits, attend fiestas (festivals) dressed in costumes and clean or decorate the graves of deceased family members. The Day of the Dead is similar in many respects to Halloween, a holiday that also commemorates the spirits of the dead. Halloween originated in Europe and is now celebrated on October 31 in the United States. Some Day of the Dead ceremonies are sanctioned and presided over by representatives of the Catholic Church. Many aspects of Day of the Dead celebrations also reflect Native American traditions that predate the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the early 1500s. Observances vary from region to region, and often between different social groups within the same community. Some communities hold multiple Day of the Dead celebrations during the last week of October and the first week of November. In these elaborate observances, specific days are usually set aside for various classes of spirits, such as those of people who died violently or who died within the last year. Most �Day of the Dead� activities take place in the home. Paths of flower petals and burning incense lead spirits to the houses of their living relatives. Many families construct elaborate ofrendas (offerings), tables heaped with gifts of food and drink for the spirits of the dead. Special loaves of bread known as hojaldra are baked for the holiday and are often included in offerings to the spirits. Other food offerings are selected with the spirit of a specific individual in mind, including dishes the deceased person enjoyed in life. The ofrenda is decorated with flowers, especially an orange or yellow flower known as cempas�chil (flower of the dead) and the mano de le�n (lion�s paw). Also, arches of palm leaves and banners of tissue paper cut into intricate designs frequently hang above the ofrenda table. After the spirits have been given an opportunity to partake of the offerings, the celebrants eat the food. Leftover food is placed on the graves of dead relatives or distributed to living relatives and other members of the community. According to custom, ill fortune, such as sickness or death, may befall those who do not make offerings. In some areas, especially in Mexico City, many celebrants construct papier-m?ch� skeletons and skulls. These are often arranged in tableaus that tell a story, sometimes a social or political satire. Skulls made from sugar are also common. In urban areas, ofrenda competitions and Day of the Dead dances have become increasingly common. |
| Ministry of Magic
John Chang So it is true. The current ministry of magic has being replaced. It has ben made the IHC (inter house competition) you can not make your own Ministry. We will be using the current phone booth and I wish your house luck, even though Hufflepuff will win. |
| Arcade Tournament
by: A Slytherin After over a month waiting, playing games and speculation about who would win, an answer was finally revealed - Adrianna Lunar of Penshire! She beat out Gwen Tatham of Ravenclaw, Ariana Martin of Gryffindor and Joe Nworb of Paddington for the coveted title, and now has her name on one of the trophies in the Trophy Room on the third floor of the castle. So if you have a few moments, check it out, and congrats to Adrianna for this accomplishment! |
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| The Three Broomsticks Contest
By: Lavender Brown Posted by PAD on the BB: It's time once again to hold a monthly contest! For this contest you will be making a new version of The Three Broomsticks! The guidelines are simple: ~ This is a monthly contest so all entries are individual entries or entries put together with a partner of team of your choice. This is not a house event. ~ Your entry can be as simple or complex as you choose. It's up to you how much effort you put into it. ~ No forums or guest books please. All ordering should be done via e-mail. ~ If you enter this contest, you must be willing to make the commitment to keep up with your orders. Please do not enter if you don't plan on doing so. That's it! Deadline: Midnight in all time zones on October 15th, 2008! Entry Submission Points: 100 Winning Entry Points: 100 Good luck to all who enter! |
| Writing Club Open!
By: A Ravenclaw After the library, the Writing Club is the second thing that must remain open at all times. However, after its tragic boarding up during the summer, no one believed that they would ever be allowed back in. But, everyone received a shock when it was revealed that Ravenclaw�s brand new Head of House, Professor Simbi, would be in charge of the club. There are also a couple of new assistants in the club � Teagan Kincade and Riley Jake who join the four other assistants in helping out with the club. So head to the Writing Club and check it out today! |
| Writing Club Assistants!
by: A Snake Since Professor Simbi's reopening of the Writing and Poetry Club, it was discovered that he was short a couple of assistants. Since Jenii Chang moved on to Paddington, there was no longer a Slytherin assistant in the club, and there was also no one from Hufflepuff that had stepped up to the plate that was still around to take up the mantle. So the Professor took applications, and appointed Teagan Kincade as the new Hufflepuff assistant, and Riley Jake, a Slytherin as the other assistant. They are joining Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw, Roxanne Whitez of Gryffindor, Jenii Chang of Paddington and Bryony Casten of Penshire as assistants for the long-running and amazingly awesome club. |
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| Why don't witches like to ride their brooms when they are angry? * They are afraid of flying off the handle! Who did Frankinstien take to the prom? * His ghoul friend! What do ghost serve for dessert? * Ice scream! Why couldn't Dracula's wife get any sleep? * Because of his coffin! What do baby ghost use to dress up on Halloween? * Pillow cases! |
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| Start of Term Dance
By: Teagan Kincade This year's SOT Dance was "hopping" to say the least. There are no cliques in this place! The most wonderful thing I saw happen was the mixture and mingle of people between houses. I didn't see barely any prejudices, and if I did, it was all in fun and didn't go too far. There were, however a few things that concerned me. First, if Luna Lovegood disappears, everyone knows they have a couple different places to search in order to find the poor girl, for Professor Simbi has vowed to hide her away! I heard that he would use the Penshire Common Room, Egypt, or even one of the other common rooms. Everyone make a point to spy on Luna! We do not want to lose one of our students to a conspiracy led by the ominous Professor Simbi. Another thing that worries me is the disappearance of beds. The following conversation was recorded: [proflockhart] When I steal a bed [proflockhart] I stick it in a room [proflockhart] put them in a row [proflockhart] and then put washing up liquid and water on them [TeaganKincade] XD [proflockhart] and use them as a big water slide. [TeaganKincade] I'm thinking the OG needs articles with a couple new...techniques. [Luna_Lovegood] Water slide? COOL! [Arya] You're using my bed as a WATER SLIDE!? ArianaMartin sits on her bed to protect it. [ZoeyTaylor] My bed's ruined Luna_Lovegood volunteers Erica's bed for the water slide. So, not only are the beds being confiscated (for as of yet unknown "grievances" against Professor Lockhart, but the professor is using them all for a water slide! Professor Lockhart did offer to give Zoey her bed back for a deed, but he never clarified what the poor girl would have to do, and her bed was still missing at the last report. After some speculation, the students have decided that Professor Lockhart utilizes the Room of Requirement for a water slide park, but nothing has been looked into as of yet. Check out the BB in the next couple of weeks for an RPG to look for the missing beds! |
| It's Back!
by: A Snake Since the triumphant return of the Writing and Poetry clubs, there are no longer students camping out in front of the doors, speculating about whether or not there would be a reopening. After a month into the summer, Hogwarts students were very antsy to get back to their precious writings, and now the Writing Club is back and open for business! Just a warning to those who happen to venture inside - NaNoWriMo is fast approaching, and many Hogwarts students take part in it. So head to high ground, the Writing Club is back! |
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| Where oh where have all the ghosts gone?
by Uh-oh (R ) Strange behavior has been going on with the ghost; like seeing the ghosts grouped together in inaccessible areas [unless you can go through walls] of the school. They have been disappearing more than usual. Also, many have been missing from the halls we normally see them as well as from the house they represent. Rumor has it that all of the ghosts of Hogwarts and Peeves [of course] are teaming up this Halloween. They are planning some type of trick against the teachers and students. What is it? I wish I knew. All I can say is be careful or you might find yourself in a mess of trouble once they get you! |
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| Serious Lack in Class Taking
Professor Snape In all my years here, almost seven, this is the lowest class registration I have seen. Granted it is an RPG site, however YOUR education is paramount. All the professors have put hours upon hours in research into creating interesting, fact-based, or fantasy lessons and with all this work, the pay-off is students going to classes. I understand we have many �types� here, those who like to just hang in the common room, those who like to visit the BB and hang in the common room, those who are �gamers� and those who are mostly RPGers�but there should be a common thread among all of these types and that is attending classes. We simply ask that you take at least 3, at the most, 5 at a time. Once you complete on, you can either move up a level, like in Potions, or register for another class. Would this not be part of being in a house? Where is the pride in doing something for your Head of House, Assistant Head of House and housemates? Classes come in a variety of formats, some are text/quiz classes, others are RPG classes, some are a mix of both, and some are strictly post homework on a forum type. With this type of variety, I would think any student �type� here would find something to take. If there is an excuse for this lack of class taking, I would love to here it�otherwise get your butts into classes. |
| Creating Multiply Characters
Professor Snape Creating another character on this site is something you better have approval for; it is very simple, write a request to the Headmistress. There are many sides to the issue, but suffice to say, we have rules and you better be sticking to them. Why the rules, because someone in the past, be it recent or eons ago, created problems, havoc, and chaos with being more then one �person� on the site. Because of their lack of respect and fair play, we all have to now live within some bounties. What type of havoc you ask? One example was cheating when it came to Quidditch strategy or Inner-house contests in one house to another. Another problem, their characters would fight between them selves upsetting others who were not privy to knowing they were the same people. One of the biggest grievances was earning points for ONLY their base house and not the other they had an �MP� in, which is unfair. Many wished to do away with letting others have a second character, major trust issues and suspicions of spying were some of their top reasons. So, we, the Administration staff, tried to put together the most comprehensives rules as we could, to be fair and still allow those wishing to have a second character to have them. If you do not like the rules, I am sure there are hundreds of thousands of other sites out there that do not put in as much care and reasoning behind their rules as we do. |
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| Turn to page two....if you dare! |