The Hogwarts Headliner, Issue #30

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┏ ┗ The Motorcycle Diaries An Angel in Chains by Penny Porter retold by Maverick Castle ┓ ┛	xx	“Mum! Mum! You gotta see this! There’s an angel in chains!” Just a few weeks before Christmas in 1974, four-year-old Becky surprised her mother, Penny, with such an exclamation. Penny, alone at home with her children as her husband
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	xx	was away in a cow sale in another town, was surprised as she noticed a tall man with glistening skin just outside her Arizona farm. His arms were visibly muscled and decorated with a purple tattoo, a scar on his left cheek, and an earring the shape of a silver knife hung on an ear. He was dressed in a leather vest and chains: on his boots, belt, and gigantic breast. Not so far away was his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and his friends, some wearing black jackets decorated with glittering Hell’s Angels on their backs. It was	xx	then she noticed why her daughter dubbed them angels. Their leader, the gigantic man, politely and nervously introduced himself to Penny, telling her his name was Rip Balou and his motorcycle gear was broken, so he and his gang would need a shelter and some water for the night. Somehow, something behind his appearance and their group’s negative reputation made her feel safe to give them the permission, and the bikers spent the night at the
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farm. Unfortunately, the following day they found out that a new gear had to be sent from the capital; and so, the twelve bikers helped around the farm to express their gratitude for the food and shelter Penny gave them. Becky befriended all of them, but Rip, the most diligent ‘farmhand’, was closest to her. They played with her dolls, read stories, and coloured pictures in her colouring book; he even taught her to mix colours and told her	xx	“Sweetie, the most important thing to remember is that you have to stay inside the line.” On the third day, Becky suddenly asked her new best friend about his family. Rip initially attempted to avoid answering it, but after that reluctantly he showed her a picture of a bespectacled, grey-haired lady	xx	whose hand was resting on the shoulder of a little girl. “This is my mum,” he answered, “and that’s Jasmine… my daughter. She’s about your age now, I think.” “I wish she could play with me,” Becky said. Rip stared at the photograph for a long time. “Mum raises her, but she suffers from glaucoma. She can’t see clearly.” Becky locked her eyes with Rip’s
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and, with a child’s immeasurable wisdom, asked, “If your mum can’t see clearly, who will teach Jasmine to stay inside the line?” Rip shook his head. “I… don’t know.” He replied quietly, but Penny could hear pain in his voice, his heart, and his soul. Thursday evening, finally, Rip’s new gear arrived. His friends helped him replace the old one and they were ready to leave at dawn. Oddly, Penny felt there was a strain between her guests. At the end, one of them told her that breakfast would not be necessary, and he looked at Rip unhappily. Carefully so as not to spook the horses and chickens, the Hell’s Angels on their motorcycles slowly moved as they said thank you to Penny and bid her goodbye. Rip was the last, muttering, “Thank you, Ma’am… for many things."	xx	“And thank you for being a playmate and a fun teacher,” she replied. She wanted to say more than that, but all in a sudden his eyes were filled with uncontrollable tears. “I don’t see Becky,” he said, looking at the picnic table where they often had meals together. “I… I need to tell her something… remind her of something very important.” “She’s at the fence,” said Penny, giving him a brief hug, arranging the chains around his neck, secretly wishing she could do the same to the chains which had stolen his life. The mother pointed at her daughter, who was sitting on the fence, waving and bidding farewells to her friends as they moved westward on Frontier Road toward their destination, Los Angeles. “You’d better be quick, Rip,” Penny urged him. “They’ll leave you.” For the first time, he smiled widely at her before approaching his beloved four-year-old. He lifted her up, let her sit on his motorbike as he crouched next to her
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so that they could talk face-to-face. Her mum knew not what they were talking about, but she knew that their goodbye hug dampened her eyes. Rip Balou started his engine and turned east on Frontier Road, not toward Los Angeles but Baltimore—‘4,235 kilometres away, just in time for Christmas’—where a little girl was waiting to hear the lesson of how important it is to ‘stay inside the line’, and her dad was to show her the way to do so.

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❝ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. Stay inside the line ── x┗─────────── x❞

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┏ ┗ A Brief History of Chanukah by Koko Riddle ┓ ┛ In addition to December traditions such as Christmas or New Year is a holiday that has withstood the test of time: Chanukah, the reconsecration of the temple. Also spelled Hanukkah, it is a Jewish holiday that is also called ‘The Festival of Lights’. This year, Chanukah begins at sundown on 7 December and continues until sundown on 15 December. Behind this holiday, though, is a wealth of traditions that has been passed down for centuries, some of which will be detailed below.	xx
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Perhaps the most recognisable symbol of Chanukah is the menorah. While that is the common word in English, this term refers to the temple candelabra, which has seven candles, while chanukiah refers to the candelabra used during Chanukah. Its eight branches each hold a candle representative of each night of the holiday. One is lit for each new night, while the ninth candle is called the shamash and sits above the others. The shamash is used to help light the other candles. This alludes to the lighting of a temple menorah for eight days with only as much oil as would light it for one day. Similarly to other winter holidays, food plays a large part in Chanukah celebrations. Since Chanukah is a celebration of the use of oil, food fried in oil is commonly eaten. Some of these include latkes, which are potato pancakes fried in oil, and sufganiyot, which are round, deep-fried jam doughnuts. Some families eat roast goose, lots of dairy products or fried chicken ─ it depends on the family and where they live. However, fried foods in particular are staples of Chanukah.	xx	Many people, Jews and non-Jews alike, have heard of the dreidel. Also called sevivon in Hebrew, the dreidel is an object much like a spinning top, and each of its four sides are inscribed with one Hebrew letter - nun, gimel, hei or shin. It is often used to play a game, in which each player has pieces (chocolate coins (gelt), tokens or other sweets) they must play with. Everyone will put one of their pieces into the centre of a circle. After spinning the dreidel, the action a player will take depends on what letter the dreidel lands on. If it lands on nun, the player will do nothing. If it lands on gimel, the player will take the entire centre ‘pot’ of pieces. If the pot is empty, everyone will put in another piece. If the dreidel lands on hei, the player will take half of the pieces in the centre; if it lands on shin, the player will have to put one of their pieces in the middle. Once a player loses all of their tokens, they are out of the game, and the winner is the last player remaining.	xx	❝ ─ ──────────────┓ x ─. The holiday is an important time for friends and family to bond over good food and strong traditions. ── x┗────────────── x❞ The giving of gelt is yet another Chanukah tradition. Gelt was traditionally money, although in the 20th century, chocolate gelt became common. Often, it is given to children and teachers as a sign of gratitude. Chocolate coins or gelt in particular is a common type of game piece for the dreidel game. While most non-Jewish families do not celebrate Chanukah and every Jewish family that does celebrate does so differently, the holiday is an important time for friends and family to bond over good food and strong traditions. With any luck, this article has served as a quick overview of the holiday itself. If it has piqued your interest, feel free to do more research on your own ─ or, better yet, talk to someone you know who celebrates Chanukah. The resulting discussion might be a new way to bond with a friend.
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What do you want for Christmas, Hogwarts?
by Simon Kincaid
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Exchanging gifts has been a popular Christmas tradition for a very long time - thousands of years! Along with many winter holiday traditions, giving presents to one another is a central part of the season for many. For Christians, this gift giving is symbolic of the tributes made to Baby Jesus after His birth in the Nativity story. The Bible’s New Testament states that Three Wise Men follow a star to the location of Jesus’ birth and present him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.	xx	The tradition of gift giving during the winter season goes back much further than the founding of Christianity. The ancient Romans had a festival of Saturnalia, taking place in late December. In those days, thanks were given for the bounty provided by the pagan agricultural god of Saturn and celebrated with banquets, sacrifice, partying, and gift-giving. There’s a popular Muggle Christmas	xx	song that states “Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot…” among several other high-priced items that the singer requests. It’s very materialistic and while we at Hogwarts might not have our sights set on high-end jewellery and other pricey items, what exactly do we want? Here are what some at Hogwarts wish for this winter season. One of the first students I found in the corridors was first-year Ravenclaw Renelle Dalton. Her Christmas wish is that her best friend’s older brother can disappear. She’s visiting her house for
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Christmas and feels it would be a much easier trip if he weren’t there. She also mentioned a swarm of pygmy puffs to guard her stuff and attack anyone who annoys her, and a new quill because she loses hers a lot. I offered her up an extra quill from my satchel and backed away slowly. First-year Slytherin Remedy Norden told me that ‘every day, it’s painstakingly clear that [she] requires a new wand’. “If my wand cannot keep up with my tenacity and talent, then what good is it?” Quite the statement, Miss Norden. ─ ❝ ─ ───────────────┓ x ─. If my wand cannot keep up with my tenacity and talent, then what good is it? ── x┗─────────────── x❞	xx	The Gryffindors all seemed to be out and about this particular afternoon and just like a school dance, no professors could be seen anywhere, so I found some fellow badgers. First-year Helena Rose said she wanted to spend the holiday break with her family and friends who actually care and enjoy her company. She said that the holidays were not about presents but those you spend it with. Beautiful, isn’t it? I can’t agree more and it pains me that this year's winter break I’ll be spending it apart from my amazing girlfriend as last year we took what seemed like a never-ending trip to a ski resort in Austria. Speaking of the amazing girlfriend, I asked third-year Hufflepuff AngelFyre McCubbin what she wanted most for the holiday season and she wants some rest, personal reflection, and an honest reminder of the reason for the season - focusing her thoughts and gratitude for her blessings and maybe even on her losses. Not something this boyfriend is going to find in the shops, huh?
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❆ Yuletide greetings, Hogwarts - may you find peace, love, and happiness this season and for all that follow - and remember, be kind to one another. ❆
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Christmas at Hogwarts is a truly magical time of year. The castle is decorated with twinkling lights and festive garlands, and the Great Hall is transformed into a Christmas	xx	────────❅──────── Christmas Gift Guide! by Ara Villa	xx	wonderland. Some students go home to celebrate with their families, while others celebrate here at Hogwarts with their friends. Either way, Christmas is a season to
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be jolly and happy. People enjoy delicious food, sing carols, and exchange gifts during this time of year, but some may still try deciding what to give people during Christmas, so here’s a gift guide to know what to give certain people during Christmas!	xx
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For the bookworm 1. A bookmark. It can be handmade or bought in a shop. 2. A gift certificate to a bookshop. This is a great way to let them choose their own books. If you aren’t sure what kind of books they like, you can try getting them a gift certificate to a general bookshop or a speciality one that sells their favourite book genres. 3. Reading light for Muggles, so that they won’t go blind while reading in the dark! 4. A new book by their favourite wizarding world (or Muggle) author. 5. A book-themed gift basket. Fill a gift basket with their favourite snacks, drinks, and book-related items, such as a book light,	xx	a bookmark, or a book sleeve - and you’re set! For the studious 1. New notebooks and supplies are always nice! 2. Books on advanced topics! 3. A new cup for their favourite drink when studying. 4. Study snacks, if they like to munch on something while studying. 5. A planner. If they like being organised, this is the perfect item for them! For the fan of magical creatures 1. A book about magical creatures, such as ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them'	xx	or ‘The Monster Book of Monsters’. 2. A painting of their favourite magical creature. This may take time, but is totally worth it! 3. A stuffed animal of their favourite magical creature! 4. A set of creature-themed pyjamas for cuteness sake. 5. A book about the care and feeding of magical creatures. For the Quidditch lover 1. A scarf, badge, or banner of their favourite team! 2. Omnioculars or Binoculars, so when they go to a game, they get the full experience! 3. A new broom. If you’re rich enough, then go for it. 4. Calendar of Matches, so that they know when the next one is!
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For the Prankster 1. Socks of Eternal Wetness. It’s perfect for a funny revenge. 2. Annoy-o-Tron. This will definitely annoy them. 3. Prank Cake. 4. Leprechaun Gold, just to trick ‘em! 5. Exploding Bonbons.	xx		xx	For your greatest enemy 1. Dream Pantaloons. They’re from Zonko’s at Hogsmeade and best suited for the best kind of revenge. 2. Nose-Biting Teacup. It might hurt! 3. Skiving Snackbox Sweets, but just tell them these are regular sweets! 4. Canary Creme Biscuits.
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❅ ─ ───────────┓ x ─. Remember that the best gift comes from the heart. ── x┗─────────── x❅

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If you still feel unsure of what to give people even after reading this list, then just take it slow while deciding. Remember that the best gift comes from the heart, and are the ones that show you care about your friend, and that you put thoughts into their gift. Happy holidays!

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You will need access to an oven for this recipe. Ingredients: Butter - 5 eggs - 140g light muscovado sugar - 100g self-rising flour - 25g cocoa powder - caster sugar ──────────────── For icing and filling: - 285 ml carton double cream - 450g fondant chocolate - icing sugar

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Recipe: Yule Log by Koko Riddle Many different families have their own holiday traditions ranging from eggnog to challah, and today, I will bring you a food our Muggle-born and half-blood friends, and perhaps some of the purebloods, will definitely recognise. It is a chocolate cake, and its name is Bûche de Noël in French. Any guesses? Alright, no shenanigans: this month, I bring you the recipe for a Yule Log. STEP 1: The first step is to preheat your oven. You will want it to be at 190°C, fan 170°C or gas 5. Take out a 30 by 35 cm Swiss roll tin and butter it before lining it with baking parchment. STEP 2: Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and place them in separate large bowls. Add the sugar to the egg yolks and whisk with 30 ml water. Mix for five minutes, or until the mixture is light in colour and relatively thick. Sift in the flour and cocoa, and fold it into the mixture, using either the blades of your whisk or a large metal spoon. STEP 3: Use a clean whisk to beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then use the whisk blades or spoon to fold the egg whites into the rest of the cake mixture, going in thirds. ────────────────────────────────────────

STEP 4: Pour the mixture evenly into the tin. Then, spread it to the edges ─ be careful. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cake is firm to the touch, whichever comes first. Once the cake is baked, set a large sheet of baking parchment on your work surface. Using the parchment in the tin, turn the cake onto your work surface, and then peel off the paper stuck to the cake. Use a clean tea towel to cover the cake while it cools. Once the cake has cooled completely, trim up the edges a bit, and cut score lines into a long end of the cake. Begin rolling the cake from that side, using the paper to help you. The paper should be rolled inside the cake. STEP 5: For the icing, put the cream in a small pan and bring it to a boil. Then, remove the pan from the heat, and break 400g of the chocolate into it. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool, and then chill for about 1 hour. Then, chop up the remaining chocolate, and put that with ⅓ of the icing in a bowl. Stir that together to make the filling. STEP 6: Unroll the cake. Then, spread all of the filling until it is within 2 centimetres of the cake’s edges. Once again, use the parchment to help you roll up the cake. Then, set it on a board. STEP 7: Using a knife, diagonally slice off a thicker piece of the cake. Put the larger piece on its final destination (hopefully a plate), and use some icing over the cut side of the smaller piece to attach it to the larger piece. This will look like a stump on your log. Spread the rest of the icing over the cake, and dust with sugar as you like. ───────────────────────────────

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T R Yx.O U Tx.T H I Sx.R E C I P E ! ─────────────────────────

Once your Yule Log is finished, you will have a festive and delicious treat for the holidays!

_{(A note on British oven terms: the first temperature refers to a conventional electric oven; a fan oven is the same as a “convection oven” in America; these two settings will work on American gas or electric ovens. The gas mark, however, is a scale particular to gas ovens in the UK, Ireland and some Commonwealth Nations. — Editor)}

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