As the leaves fall and branches become barren, candles are lit up around the world to mark a prosperous harvest. While we are no farmers, we can certainly hope for a prosperous academic year for us all.
The Fall Ball Committee for 2023 is pleased to bring you the Festival of Lights. Come join us on October 6th for an evening of leisure, reflection, and solace as we begin the new academic year.
Save the date! We hope to see you there.

Wanted: Hufflepuff Broom Racing Co-Captain

@George Henry is stepping down from his role as Racing Co-Captain. He has been long pushing his team to violently grip victory. After several lawsuits, he has decided to step down.

As such, we will be seeking a new co-captain to serve alongside @Avery McCall.

The role of co-captain is essential, they serve as a leader as well as a moderator.

The captain will have three main responsibilities:
1. To moderate racing matches.
2. To keep the team roster up to date and to coordinate the submission of actions before the deadline.
3. To assist in the development of the racing system.

The captain position is not specifically a staff position, but it does require a bit of work as captains are expected to mod matches their team is not in (i.e. you could moderate a match between Gryffindor & Slytherin, for example). This is rewarded with a monetary sum that is obtained much the same way as stipends/scholarships are obtained but in the Captains area. In addition, this role helps you understand the game and system more as well as have a hand in future development projects regarding Quidditch. 

This application is open to everyone. Both staff and non-staff players may apply. However, staff members are reminded that it will be expected that you do the work of both positions to their fullest.

If you are a non-player captain, you will not be able to knock a user out of their role when you become co-Captain. However, you will be able to earn stat points for victories (they had a great year) and participate from the side lines if you are not a first or second string player.

How the application works:

Please send an owl to your Head of House and one other admin where you answer the form below.

You will then get access to a test on the rules of the racing system and you then have to mod the round. Applicants will be chosen mostly on the practical example.

Nickname:
Age:
Why do you OOC want the position:
Why do you IC want the position:

Applications should be sent to both Caradoc Browne and one other admin (any other HoH, Hjørdis Jensen, or Solomon Lear) and applications will remain open until the position is filled.

Applications will close on the 9th of October 2023, good luck!

AI in Posts

A quick reminder: this site requires 200 words of your own work in all roleplay posts with the exception of active sport threads (50 words). Quoting lyrics, other players, other sources (like wiki pages) or using AI will not count towards the 200 word count expectation. Work that is not your own should be cited.

Homework will not accept AI generated responses, this will be considered plagiarism even with attribution.

Applications for abilities, races, etc. will not accept AI generated responses, this will be considered plagiarism even with attribution.

Dueling Captains Wanted

We are looking to fill 2 open positions on the Duelling Team: (1) Gryffindor co-captain and (1) Ravenclaw co-captain. We are awaiting applications for Gryffindor co-captain, so this is a reminder to send your applications in to Galahad Browne, Alan Vanes, Galton Lansdale, and Meenauh Silmataurea. The deadline will be announced when we get our first viable captain's test.

We are also announcing a deadline for applications for the Ravenclaw Duelling co-captain of October 5. Meaning we are accepting applications for co-captains until October 5. This is because we have gotten a viable captain's test. So, interested members please submit your applications to Marcus Iwasaki, Beatrice Langstreth, Delilah Stewart and Robin Monroe.

Weird Weeds Errand

I hope you're all settling into Hogwarts well, because you're about to be enlisted into helping the Hogwarts staff clean up the school grounds. Strange plants have been popping up on the grounds, and we need your help to attempt to get rid of them in any way that you see fit. Head over here to partake in a little bit of pruning!

Hello, Hogwarts students and staff! It is my pleasure to announce that site lore on Centaurs has been posted. Go ahead and take a look at our equine cousins, maybe you'll learn something new.

A Quick Reminder to Everyone

America’s national emergency alert test is coming to your phone at 2:20 pm ET today

Cell phone users nationwide will receive a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) from the government. WEA tests are sent out by authorized federal agencies to ensure that every cell phone can receive warnings about emergencies such as natural disasters and public safety threats, according to a statement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is coordinating the test in conjunction with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

While the WEA alert will appear and sound similar to AMBER alerts and weather warnings on mobile devices, users cannot disable or opt out of the national emergency alert test or turn down the accompanying jarring noise.

Why is this important?

Local and national domestic violence groups are warning at-risk community members who use secret phones of the coming alert. The Safety Net Project, part of the National Network to End Domestic Violence that focuses on the intersection of technology and abuse, said the test's blaring tone can inadvertently expose victims' hidden devices that they rely on for help.

Since the coming national test is not an alert that can be disabled or turned off within the device, the Safety Net Project advises those at risk to power off their cell phones around the time of the test. Apple Watches with cellular data are also able to receive the alerts.

iNPCs have arrived

iNPCs from Ilvermorny, Durmstrang, Beauxbatons, Mahoutokoro, Koldovstoretz, Castelobruxo and Uagadou are invited to join Hogwarts in October for the Fall ball. Arriving on the 5th October, iNPCs will be around for the ball. They will leave on the 20th October.

5th October to 20th October

Join the Welcome Feast here. During their visit, iNPCs will reside in the campgrounds. There are no specific tents or cabins but assume that each school stays in their own accommodation or cabin, and you can't visit other dorms.

Dates for iNPCs to know:
5th October - iNPCs arrive at Hogwarts and join the welcome feast. [Entrance thread here].
6th October - Fall Ball
20th October - iNPCs go back to their schools - There is no thread for this. Assume they left the same way they arrived on the morning on 20th

Quick reminder, if your iNPC applications and updates are pending, please do not roleplay new characters or any changes that you're making to existing characters until they have been fully approved.

Are you excited for a fairy tale evening?

Come down to the Great Lake for tonight's festivities of both reflection and decadence. There's a lot to do by the lake tonight.

Come fill your bellies and dance your heart out at the candle-lit banquet. We do ask that you don't run so as to knock the candles over.

For something a bit more hands-on, come make a lantern near the dock! We've got all the materials for you, so just come along and get creative. Once you've made your lanterns, you can get on a boat and reenact the Rapunzel boat scene.

So, what will you do first?

Hufflepuff's Newest Broom Racing Co-Captain

Congratulations to @Alyssea Brown, our newest Broom Racing Co-Captain for House Hufflepuff. She is into a bit of everything right now so don't make her mad, you really can't avoid her. She will be replacing @George Henry, one of our most tenured Broom Racing Captains. Please thank George for his service and congratulate Alyssea as she embarks on this new adventure.