The Hogwarts Headliner, Issue #34

PAGE 11.

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A Goodbye to Hogwarts
Serena J. Towers

As graduation looms, seventh year students are getting ready to say their goodbyes. This will likely be my final article – and perhaps the most personal. It is a strange feeling, in all honesty. I never really thought about how it would feel to leave. ─────────────────

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❝ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. I never really thought about how it would feel like to leave. ── x┗─────────── x❞

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Or rather, I always thought leaving would be something to celebrate, that I would be thrilled to have survived Hogwarts and to finally be done with school or studying. Yet, now that I am approaching that deadline, I find myself actually wanting to stay. ─────────────────

I have friends I don’t want to leave behind, I have things I still need to learn before I am ready to take care of myself. It is truly a strange feeling to say that I have almost done it, I have almost survived my school life.

Farewell letters lined the Small Hall. The graduating class got their yearbook. And soon, we’ll be graduating, leaving this castle. For most of us, this will be the last time we see Hogwarts, one last look over the lake as it fades away. I remember arriving across the lake for the first time and even now the excitement I felt was like it was only yesterday. But that was seven years ago and now, I can’t even begin to imagine how seeing it for the last time will feel. Yet, with everything that has happened over the years, I have changed and I wanted to take a moment to share just how much we all have. Life may not turn out the way you expect it. When I joined in first year, I wanted to be a Magizoologist, then I wanted to be a Healer. Yet, I never once imagined I could make an earring that would save my life by warning me of incoming danger or boots that allowed me to literally be faster. I must admit, if you ever need anything made of metal, find a goblin. We’re pretty good metalsmiths.

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❝ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. Life may not turn out the way you expect it. ── x┗─────────── x❞

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❝ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. Together, you can survive anything. ── x┗─────────── x❞

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Recently, I also interviewed five of our graduating class to find out what their life and dreams were like before Hogwarts, and what they are going to do now. If you’re a first year, I would read it. It shows you that there are so many options, even amongst those five. Someone kind of knew from the start they wanted to be a Healer and they are well on their way to achieving their dreams now! A few people never thought about it – and that’s perfectly okay! Some are still unsure and plan to explore their options or travel the world – and that’s a great option too. You do not need to have everything sorted out. Life may not turn out exactly how you expect, but your experiences can change you, for better or worse. You will get through the fires, the shadows, the nightmares. You will come out the other end stronger than before, as long as you help each other. Together, you can survive anything.

xxxxx

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If there’s nothing else you take away from this, know that most of us did not have our life together at your age – and we still don’t at ours. We are just doing our best to deal with the obstacles life throws at us. I have spent many months researching the options and I’ll leave behind some articles and notes for future issues that will hopefully inspire you but know that even if you can’t think of graduation yet, you will get there one day. We are rooting for you.

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❝ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. We are rooting for you. ── x┗─────────── x❞

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So, for one last time, let me just say – this is Serena J. Towers, over and out.

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AFTER HOGWARTS #4 PG. 04

MEALS PG. 07

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ARTEFACTS PG. 09

FINAL LETTER PG. 12

PAGE 12.

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┏ ┗ The Final Letter• By Delilah Stewart• ┓ ┛

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In my year as Editor-in-Chief, we hadn’t done letters like this; it had been a thing of the past but I had never really been one to do it. Ruby and I thought it would be fitting to do one for this occasion. The Headliner for the last year has been, for all intents and purposes, like a baby of mine. It is a project I have loved dearly working on.

For a little bit of history for those of you who are newer than me, in 2019, Head of Hufflepuff Bonabé Bonet led a sort of ‘contest’ for who would run the new school-wide newspaper. Each house having had its own previously, 4 teams of EiCs with (what started as) 3 writers per team. The winning team being my own, for the first while of the Headliner’s existence, I was EiC. Although you will notice that the first edition is posted by Alexx, not myself, this was because within about 2 weeks, I was forced to step down from my position as EiC (OOC: simultaneously my professor) because of circumstances out of my control. Alexx took over for around 2 years. After that it was Phaedra for around a year and a half, until the summer of last year, where I came in once again.

I was anxious that the possibility of me having to step down again in short notice would be possible, but thankfully it did not, and I have now been EiC for around a year, and I have loved it greatly.

Unfortunately, now I have to say goodbye, as I am graduating! It’s an exciting and terrifying venture, I can’t run the Headliner anymore, and I’m going back up home! If any of you are ever in the area, send me an owl. I will forever hold a place for my fellow writers, editors, and designers; you have made my dreams a reality.

I want to say a ginormous thank you to everybody who has ever worked alongside me. I won’t name you all since there are so many, but for notable mentions, Alexx and Phaedra, who will be graduating with me, and finally Ruby, who will be taking over from now on.

You lot have made this Headliner what it is, I just gave you a deadline.

And to the readers, thank you for being here. A newspaper isn’t a newspaper without its readers, so please keep reading. I’m sure the editions will only go up from here.

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AFTER HOGWARTS #4 PG. 04

MEALS PG. 07

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ARTEFACTS PG. 09

FINAL LETTER PG. 12