Happy New Year It has been a long year for most of us. Between natural disasters, political unrest and a pandemic that has altered our daily lives in ways unanticipated, 2020 will not soon be forgotten. For a fortunate few there have been bright moments, the birth of a child, the completion of an education, the forging of new and powerful friendships here and otherwise. We have during this year had the rare opportunity to reevaluate what we value and who we value. Now at the terminus of 2020 I encourage you to celebrate safely. For those that are interested, our Discord will be practicing social distancing this year and you are welcome to celebrate the New Year with us. I will also be offering a few games [puzzles mostly] in the Games Room.

=================================

Feeling the Love?

Probably not. But that might change for you. Link

Please sign up in the thread if you are interested in participating in this activity.

Gryffindor v Ravenclaw moderated by @Tyranni Whitethorn.
Slytherin v Hufflepuff moderated by @Evelynn Decipio.

Spectator Threads are also up
Slytherin v. Hufflepuff: Link
Ravenclaw v Gryffindor: Link

Players have until Saturday, Feb 6 to get their first post up. Spectators can spectate at their own pace.

Please remember the rules for spectating a thread. As a spectator, you are in character present and can see what is happening in a thread. You know what happened in the thread but you are not able to actually change what is happening in the other thread. You can cheer players on, you can clap you can react and you can have your own personal side drama. You are not able to cast a spell at one of the players to for instance disable them while they are playing the match. The quidditch players can be aware that you are there and cheering them on. Any special abilities that you have (such as a high wisdom or the ability to find a snitch easier for instance) can not be applied to the Quidditch Players as a spectator (so no, you cannot tell them where the snitch is).

If you have any questions, please refer to the FAQ section or reach out to a Professor, Head of House, Assistant or a Prefect for more information.

We have recently figured out that there are people with backstories where their mother is a vampire. As we currently state that female vampires are infertile (and male are not), we will be changing this to both genders being fertile.

I never noticed this bit of lore and the conflicting backstories, therefore I take full blame for it. I apologize to the writers of said lore and to any inconvenienced by this.

Here is a new place to request that closed threads be reopened: viewtopic.php?f=44&t=15666. Filling out a form in that thread is required in order to get a thread reopened. Also a note that threads will now be closed by moderators after three months of inactivity, rather than one.

From this month forward, Professors will not be handing out extra house points for completed homework assignments anymore. This was used to reward players for particularly detailed assignments in the past, however, going forward we want to qualify all students' work on the same level. Not all classes and lessons awarded those extra house points and in the spirit of fairness, we want to give everyone the same chance to affect the House Cup's outcome.

Applications for the role of Transfiguration Professor have been closed. The applications have been submitted to the Professor group for voting. Thank you everyone who has applied. If some of you have sent in an application and have not gotten a reply from a Head of House, please reach out immediately.

This announcement is to clarify how certain special items work IC and OOC.

The Marauder's Map is a purely OOC item - purchasing it grants the user an OOC function of the site that lets them see what all the online members of HiO are up to at any given time.

The Invisibility Cloak has an OOC and an IC function. OOC it hides your last online time and hides your name from the Marauder's Map above. IC purchasing an invisibility cloak grants your character a generic invisibility cloak. It is NOT as powerful as Harry Potter's - consider it to be a worn cloak whose invisibility charms fade from time to time and cannot be used for true invisibility. Its primary purpose will be flavor - for example, your character can use it when sneaking around Hogwarts, but it does not make you immune to being caught (although it may increase your chances of sneaking). The only time it can be used in moderated instances is if the event moderator gives express permission. And even during moderated instances, your cloak is subject to having the invisibility charms attached to it fade at any time during the event rendering it useless for the remainder (moderator discretion) and need the charms to be reapplied for it to work again (an automatic assumption after the event).

The Underground Map was recently updated and does not grant any OOC functions. However, it now has an IC flavor use - it can be treated like a blueprint of Hogwarts. If you have purchased this item, your character has access to a generic map of Hogwarts. It does not detail secret passages or areas a normal student does not normally have access to (no Chamber of Secrets, Room of Requirement, etc). However, your character could use it to navigate the castle or reference it IC.

Welcome Atticus Wade, our newest Transfiguration Professor. He is our one and only Sylvain Wyllt, former Ravenclaw Prefect. This does mean he is stepping down in the next few days and we will be seeking a new blue bird Prefect. He comes to us with a wealth of staff experience and a unique warmth that has engaged and enhanced the community. He will be representing Gryffindor in this new role and is immediately an expert on Transfiguration so now your questions on that subject are his problem!

Congrats and good luck, the kids are rough.