It is about that time of the year. You survived yet another year in Hogwarts. For some this was done with relative ease while for others, there might have been more than one brush with death. As everyone embarks on their summer holiday, there is also a fair amount of moderation that also needs to happen. For those who have not made an Encyclopedia Page, please make one as soon as possible. You can find the character encyclopedia here. 

To move up to next year, you need to satisfy 2 criteria:
1.) You must make a character encyclopedia and be on the official index [LINK] page before July 1.
2.) You must be registered on the site before July 1.

For those that do not wish to move up to the next year, perhaps they just joined the community recently and feel that they could get more out of being a first year until next year, please contact me and your HOH before July 1 or simply never make an encyclopedia page. (The former is a better idea, everyone should have a profile page that they can call theirs). 

Common Questions:
1.) Do I need to complete all of my homework/classes before I move up to next year? No, the homework system is an optional system that you do not have to participate in. The homework system provides you and your House Points which may lead to some pride or some prizes. In addition, homework is also a source of potions and spells that you can learn for your character.

2.) Can I do last year's homework when I move up to next year? Yes you can. You do not earn house points for previous year homework, but you still earn the spells/potions.

3.) I just joined the site a week ago, can I graduate to next year? Yes, if you get yourself registered in Index before July 1st.

4.) I am already a second/third year, that means I must already be in Index right? No, not necessarily. We do biannual activity checks on player accounts. If you had not posted on the site in over 6 months, you may have been removed from Index. Why? We do this because we have to manually move players from one year to the next. This is a tedious process that is very time consuming and we have thousands of accounts. In addition, we want to reward players that are active with game progression. Please check the [INDEX] page and make sure that your name is listed. If not, please post in the Registration Thread

5.) I am still lost/confused. Is there a 'How to Guide' for this? This Link reviews everything we need for a player to Register to Index.

6.) Any additional considerations? Trunk Posts follow a standardized format (link) and only allow limited code. A Trunk Post is necessary to be registered in Index. Please follow these instructions otherwise they will not approve your trunk.

Being Held Back a Year

All indexed users will be automatically graduated to the next year on or shortly after July 1. This is a manual process so this might take us a few days. So, this means that you will need to have your character Indexed by July 1 to graduate to the next year, otherwise they will be held back.

For players that wish to stay back a year, you do not need to be removed from Index (this is in fact a terrible idea), you just need to contact your Head of House and tell them that you wish to stay back the year. As it is possible that your Head of House might miss your message to them, feel free to add myself, Solomon Lear to this message. Players choose to stay back for many reasons, such as registering onto the site late in the year and wanting to "get the full year experience," having a friend join that they want to be the same year as, or because they feel this will fit their character. The only restriction to this is: if you have roleplayed in the school this year, we are not able to undo your existence here. You would have been here at those times.

For players that have been held back, we do offer them a chance to catch-up. This is called the Advancement Program, this is an opportunity for players that have been held back one or more years. Information on this program can be found here. This opens up to general users on July 1, however for players in their 6th year that should be graduating that have been held back, we are offering them this option early. They are free to apply starting on June 1 to catch up. The Advancement Program otherwise will be open to players from July 1 to August 31.

Forward Dating

As we have a number of players that are choosing to remain first years, their ability to embed themselves into the community has been limited. Threads can be forward dated for all RP threads up to 3 months. This means that on June 11 you are able to post a RP forward dated as far ahead as Sept 11.

What is Forward Dating?

The date of a thread is defined by the first post. As such, threads are assumed to take place on the date that the thread has started, within a few days of the thread starting (for example if the thread starts on a Saturday and the thread is taking place in a classroom, it would be on Friday) unless otherwise stated. A player can backdate a thread as far back as they wish and they can normally forward date a thread up to 3 months. Basically it is a declaration that the thread started on a specific day.

What are the Rules of Forward Dating?

A player can normally forward-date up to 3 month from the start of a thread.

Is there anything we should know?

We always recommend caution when a user forward dates. The "first" experiences you have here may prevent you from participating in other group activities. Your experiences are often built off the past and you have skipped over this past. This can make it hard to take part in group activities.

Example: If there is an event or an activity that happens on the first or the second day of school, such as an ogre attacks your common room. Your character might find it hard to fully participate in this activity because there might be other participants that you have "already met" in character weeks later. Your lack of a time turner or a TARDIS will make it hard for you to take part in these group activities.

Another potential issue is not noticing that someone is forward dating a thread. Please make sure that you read the first-post of a thread fully, do not assume that a thread if forward dated (or not forward dating).

Example: is a first year graduating and IC looking forward to the end of the year and summer and starts a thread. A new player who will be in their first year this coming Sept will need to take part in a forward dated thread. That thread maker will need to be roleplaying as a second year or the soon to be first year will not be able to join the thread.

Is there anything I have to do to forward date my thread?

You need to be clear about when this forward date is in your starter post (and ideally each of your posts in the thread) so that joining players are aware of when this thread is taking place. This can be done by simply posting - Date: Sept 2, 2026 at the top of your post.

Adulthood

This is our third graduating class on site. This is a remarkable achievement because these players for the most part stuck to a single character for years. We are graduating the present 7th years on or around July 1, this means that these players will need to be registered with Index by July 1. You can verify if you are registered with Index by looking for your name in this thread. Index Cleaning will be done around June 1, so this is the most up to date resource. This graduation occurs passively unless you have reached out to your Head of House and asked to be held back.

As an adult account, you will not notice any difference in your basic site permissions, you will still be able to access active threads as well as past threads. Obviously as an adult it will not make sense for your character to continue to be at this school after gradation, but you will still be able to backdate threads if there was some story you still needed to complete. However, your adult account will no longer be earning a scholarship or stipend from the common room as you have previous years. It is student accounts (or staff) that earn money, so you will start earning money once your student character is validated.

Graduated Adults will be eligible to create their new student character as soon as July 2 as long as their student character is given an adult status. Graduated users will be able to have up to 2 characters at once, their adult character as well as their student character. A user cannot have 2 student characters. Staff members that use adults to accomplish their staff role can have up to three characters, their student character, their adult character and their staf-adult character. When a staff member leaves their position, they will need to pick which adult account they wish to maintain. The account that they no longer wish to maintain will be deactivated, please post in this thread to deactivate the third account. Graduated adults can register for their new student character by posting in this thread. Once you have registered your new student in this thread, you can create your new character as normal, this thread notifies the validation team that you are not a multi-account. If someone erroneously believes you are a multi-account, please simply refer them to this thread.

For player characters that are graduating but maintain a role as a Prefect or Captain, as these roles are tied to a specific house, we will offer the option of force-sorting so that you can maintain your role. You are welcome to "roll the dice" on things and be sorted, but this is a decision that would need to be made before you enter the sorting ceremony. If you plan to be force sorted, there is a place to mention this in the application. We will do our best to accomodate you. If you wish to have the full experience, we thank you for your time with us in the roles you had and look forward to what you will bring with your new character. We only ask that you give your team and head of house warning so we can open up applications before you step down from your role.

Graduated Adults, including iNPCs will be eligible to pick or update their job on their adult character as soon as July 1 and this will remain open until August 31. This is accomplished in this thread. Please note, some jobs have prerequisites, such as having another (lower level) job before or having certain OWLS and/or NEWTS completed. These OWLS or NEWTS would need to be done before you apply for your job.

Jobs Overview:

1. A wide variety of jobs are available and organized into categories for ease of navigation. Most magical professions are represented, though muggle equivalents can also be roleplayed where appropriate. [List of Jobs]
2. All characters begin at the Entry Level and may apply for a job between 1st July and 31st August. [Apply Here]
3. Characters who do not apply for a job during this period will remain unemployed for the year. This is perfectly acceptable, though it means they will not participate in the job progression system.
4. Some jobs have requirements that must be met before you can apply. While many entry-level positions have few or no requirements, additional qualifications may be needed as you advance. Always review the job listing carefully.
5. Jobs are divided into four progression levels:
   Entry → Intermediate → Expert → Master
6. To progress from Entry Level to Intermediate Level, you must complete three eligible roleplays during the year that depict your character performing duties related to their job. [Eligibility Details]
7. If you do not complete the required roleplays, you simply remain at your current job level for another year.
8. You may remain in the same profession indefinitely or change to another profession for which you qualify. The progression system exists for those who wish to advance their careers.
9. iNPCs may also participate in the job system. They need to earn their own NEWTS and OWLS.

OWLs & NEWTs: [Details & FAQ]

1. If a job requires OWLs or NEWTs, those qualifications must be obtained through the homework system. If you do not wish to complete homework or have previously failed, consider becoming a Librarian Aide.
2. Each year that a Librarian Aide completes three eligible roleplays, they may claim up to three OWLs and/or NEWTs. This option exists for players who prefer roleplay progression over homework completion.
3. NEWTs do not automatically grant the corresponding OWL. If a job requires both, you must possess both.
4. Passing grades are A, E, or O. Failing grades may be replaced through the Librarian Aide progression path.
5. iNPCs share the same OWLs and NEWTs displayed on the primary account's report card.
6. Required qualifications must be earned before applying for a job.
7. Homework may be completed at any time. However, because job applications are only accepted between 1st July and 31st August, you should ensure any required assignments are graded before applying. Grading may take up to two weeks.
8. Graduated characters no longer receive House Points for homework completion.

Adult Progression: [Full Adult System]

1. Any indexed seventh-year student will automatically graduate and become an Adult I. [Index]
2. Adult characters advance one Adult Level each year they remain on the Index:
   Adult I → Adult II → Adult III → etc.
3. Your profile will display both your profession and Adult Level (for example: Auror, II).
4. Each year, you may choose one of the following:
   
   Add 5 stat points
   Gain 1 ability
   Redistribute 5 existing stat points
   
   Additional restrictions and stat caps apply. [Full Details]
5. Adult progression occurs regardless of whether you roleplay or maintain employment, provided you remain on the Index.
6. Once graduated, you may create a second student character if you wish. This is optional and may be done at any point after becoming an adult.
7. Because Hogwarts.io focuses primarily on student life, players who choose not to create a student character may find their roleplay opportunities more limited.
8. Prefects and Sports Captains lose access to house-restricted student areas upon graduation. If you wish to continue serving in those roles, your second student account may do so.

Second Character Information: [More Information]

1. To create a second student account, first post in the Second Character Registration thread. Wait for approval before creating the account.
2. Only apply after your primary character has officially become Adult I.
3. Current Prefects and Sports Captains may request that their second character be sorted into the same house in order to continue serving in their role.
4. Former staff members are able to keep their former staff account in addition to their graduated student account.
5. New first-year students may participate in Summer Camp if approved and indexed in time. Because indexing can take up to two weeks (or longer if edits are required), early applications are encouraged.
6. Players may only possess one student character at a time. Deactivating an adult character does not permit the creation of an additional student account.
7. iNPC creation remains available on second student accounts whenever iNPC registration is open.

Adult System Reminder: Current Adults & Upcoming Graduates

As graduation approaches, we wanted to post a quick reminder about how the Adult System works and what you should be doing to keep your character progressing.

Graduating Students

Once your character graduates from Hogwarts, they can apply for an adult profession during the annual application period. Entry-level careers cover a huge range of paths, from Ministry work and healing to athletics, research, entertainment, crafting, and more. Some careers require specific OWLs or NEWTs, while others have no examination prerequisites at all.

Remember to check your intended career path ahead of time so you know whether you need particular exams before graduating.

Existing Adult Characters

If you wish to advance to the next tier of your profession, you'll need to complete three job-related roleplay threads over the course of the year before the next advancement period. These can be:

• Three solo threads (approximately 2,000 words each), or
• Three collaborative threads where you make at least five posts meeting the site's minimum word count.

The roleplays should meaningfully involve your profession, for example: serving customers as a shopkeeper, conducting research as a scientist, or treating patients as a healer.

If you're happy where you are, you are not required to advance. You may remain in your current profession and continue roleplaying it without seeking promotion.

Adult Advancement

Each year, adult characters may choose one advancement option:

• Gain +5 stat points,
• Redistribute 5 existing stat points, or
• Trade 5 end-game stat capacity for an additional ability.

Be sure to keep your Adult Advancement Log in your trunk up to date to reflect whichever option you choose.

New Student Character

Because most site events continue to center around Hogwarts, graduating players are encouraged to create a new student character while continuing to write their adult as a bonus character. This lets you experience new school stories while carrying forward the legacy of your graduate.

If you have questions about prerequisites, job paths, OWLs/NEWTs, or advancement requirements, feel free to ask before applications open. Planning ahead now will make your transition into adulthood much smoother.