The Daily Diviner - Issue 101

TABLE OF​	CONTENTS​
Feature​	Potterworld's New Year Resolutions​
Editorial​	A Year in Review​
Server Spotlight​	Beware the Parasites Near Baybrooke Manor!​
Lifestyle​	Conjuring Change: A Guide to Magical New Year’s Resolutions!​

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Potterworld's New Year Resolutions
Feature
Written by Silquer
Edited by bluecherub
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Hello my dear readers, and welcome to the first issue of 2024! 2023 was a crazy year filled with lots of excitement for Potterworld. There were a ton of events, many different updates, and plenty of classes and challenges. Staff has been hard at work through it all, making sure our beloved server continues to run smoothly. With this in mind, I had the pleasure of interviewing some of the Head Staff members about how their departments did during 2023 and what some of their New Year resolutions are. Here is what they all had to say!

Another New Year has passed. How has your department changed from the start of 2023 to now?

MamaDuckie (Head of Media): The Media department has undergone a lot of changes this year, the biggest ones being the change in Leadership - myself being appointed as Head of Media and yoomi (Alexa) becoming our WizNetworker Lead. We've also seen changes to all of our teams, both member and production wise. Our Video WizNetworkers have been hard at work producing content, including TikToks. The Arithmancers have been working to create new and exciting visuals for various teams. Over in the Daily Diviner, they've been working on trying to find new types of content to put out as well as reaching issue #100 at the end of 2023. The Artworkers have also designed some amazing models that have been released throughout the year that have been entirely different from previous years. Everyone has worked so hard, and it's amazing to see.​

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Alexstrasza14 (Head of Technology & Development): We were excited to see our department grow in 2023! Applications for our Javascript Developer position opened and the Developer team began work on our new Discord Bot. We also welcomed numerous new Grounds Keepers and Poltergeists to the team.​

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PotatoEmma (Head of Build): The Build Team has changed in multiple ways. most notably by shifting our focus from the world map to Potterworld 2.0, which has been an exciting change! The team has also changed in the involvement of Architects in leadership. They've really stepped up and helped with overseeing big projects. Shira and I really appreciate that and find it great to see how amazing they all are at leading/supervising projects! ​

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Creme_de_Creme (Head of Academics): The Academics Department has grown a lot within the past year. We've introduced smaller Academics events that we host such as the 8 Hours of Classes. This allowed us to coordinate together and theme our lessons after an event, holiday, celebration, etc without taking too much of a toll on the team. For Arena, we've been making progress in continuing to create new gamemodes and adding quality of life features to address feedback made by players.​

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It has been a packed year for Potterworld, from events to some of the new things in the works. What has been your favorite development over the past year?

MamaDuckie: It has been quite the year indeed. I'm always exceptionally impressed with everything that the PW team produces that it's extremely difficult to pick any singular thing that has been released. However, if I had to pick one thing this year, I suppose that the Pride event of 2023 has really stuck out in my mind over everything else, though I could not even begin to explain why.​

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Alexstrasza14: The Developer team has made a lot of internal releases for the staff team this year. This includes new tech and fun features that make it easier for the server to grow and make cooler content for our players! We also released a variety of new features for our players this year, as well as continued to work very hard on 1.16. We’re extremely proud of the work our testing teams have put into testing all the content that was released last year, and are excited to test all the content being released this year!​

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PotatoEmma: The shift of focus from the world map to Potterworld 2.0 has been a very exciting development. It's new, which is always exciting, and it brings us new building opportunities. But, honestly, the most exciting thing every year seems to be Winter Waltz (although it's not really a "development"). Everybody loves working on that event and getting to be super creative with the new school. It's always so fun to see almost the entire team work together on that enormous build. ​

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We’re all looking towards the future now; what plans do you have for your department in 2024? Is there anything you can share with us at the moment?

MamaDuckie: There's nothing I can really share at the moment, but I would love to see the department grow and expand. Media is a department where there's a lot of different skill sets that are needed across the different teams, so I always love to see how the members grow and improve their own craft. Seeing the team grow in size would also be something that I hope to have happen this year as well.​

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Alexstrasza14: Our major plan for this year is to support the development of 1.16. Our goal is to have staff working on the new 1.16 version of the server within the next 3 months. A majority of the coding has been completed, and we are applying the finishing touches now! Other than that, we’re hoping to continue to uphold the high quality of our testing teams, continue to work towards getting on top of forum suggestions (both new and on-hold) and streamlining the process more. Part of this will involve the creation of a forum channel on the official Discord server for players to make their own suggestions. We hope to open this new channel in the first quarter of this year!​

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PotatoEmma: We'll likely continue working on PW 2.0! But, besides that, we'll also work on amazing events as usual! We might see some new events this year, and we might also revisit some places we've visited in the past... It's going to be an exciting year ​

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Creme_de_Creme: With the upcoming year, the Academics team is looking to host more interactive classes and 8 Hours of Classes events. The Class Design Team will be looking to increase the number of interactive lessons and learning more thoroughly how we can utilize Potterworld’s custom tech and bring them into classrooms in fun and creative ways. For Arena, the goal is to continue creating new quality of life features and gamemodes, yet utilizing more coordination with player feedback.​

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It looks like Potterworld has a busy year ahead of it! As always, our Head Staff puts in time and dedication to run the behind-the-scenes of the server; a huge thank you to them for letting us in on what their plans are! After hearing about our staff team’s motivation, I hope you are all just as excited for 2024 on Potterworld as I am. Have a fantastic start to your year!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

A Year in Review
Editorial
Written by snotflower
Edited by bluecherub
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Welcome back to the Daily Diviner! It is finally 2024, which means a whole new year to look forward to! On Potterworld, there is no shortage of new content that will be making an appearance as the year goes on. One staple of our server is the monthly Store Releases, which bring us a variety of new pets, hats, wands, brooms, and more! Though we can only speculate on what the Store team will bring us this year, let’s look back at 2023 to a few of their most memorable releases.

Pets are some of the most exciting additions to the server each month. With options ranging from ferocious to adorable, there is no end to the unique creatures that grace our screens! For example, April’s Playful Pups Store Releases brought us three Pet dogs, all of which come in adult and puppy versions. In November, the Jurassic Store Releases included four pet dinosaurs! These dinos are the sweetest reptiles I have ever seen and are impressively detailed. This release also had the Pet Raccoon, which has quickly become a staple in my pet rotation.

It could not be a Store article without mentioning hats, which are a wonderful way to show off your personality and add some style to your outfit. The Tango Rose Hat and Cookie Hat from February’s Sweet Store Releases are unique as they fit into your mouth rather than atop your head! Plus, in October, the Enchanted Forest Store Releases gave us the beautiful Woodland Circlet. This item looks absolutely bewitching atop anyone’s head.

Moving on to wands and brooms, the Aurora Staff from January’s Aurora Borealis Store Releases is a gradient of beautiful blues, purples, and greens. In June, the Pirate Store Releases gave us the Pirate Staff, which is an intricate and intimidating wand to wield. This release also contained the Pirate Ship Broom with an amazing assortment of sails perfect for helping wizards soar across the sky. Finally, the Harvest Store Releases in August included the Sunflower Broom, which is sure to brighten up your day!

Though the store’s monthly releases are certainly memorable, they are not the only thing the Store team brought to Potterworld in 2023. Starting in July, a hidden gift card was released each month. By searching the store page, players can find a hint that leads them to a location on the server. The search is quite tricky, so it is anyone’s game!

In May, players were given the ability to change their wand wood and core! By purchasing a Wand Lore token, you can choose from 52 wand woods and 22 wand cores to make your wand unique to you. Each comes with its own lore as well, which you can view in the in-game store.

Last, but certainly not least, the Store team has been making steady updates to the Drooble’s Order Subscription. In June, they released a Drooble’s Order Broom skin, and in August they introduced minigame effects, which produce grand fireworks when a Drooble’s Order player wins a minigame. Finally, in December, winter emojis were added, which are a lovely way to show your holiday spirit.

These are only a few of the amazing additions to the store in 2023; there are plenty more I did not mention. The Store team works hard on each release, and it certainly pays off. With this in mind, I am eager to see what 2024 brings! I hope this has inspired you to look back on some of your own favorite items from this past year. Have a magical day!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Beware the Parasites Near Baybrooke Manor!
Server Spotlight
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by Calliequeen​

Hello lovely readers and welcome to the Server Spotlight column! Have you ever been to any of the notorious wizarding residences? Some of the more famous ones include the Porter House, the Seaside Cottage, and the Mysterious Manor. One wizarding residence that is talked about less frequently, yet has just as unique of a history is the Baybrooke Manor.

The Baybrooke Manor is located just on the outskirts of Antrum, just down the road from the Auralock camp. There are three manors, all of which were built by three brothers from the Baybrooke family - Olivier, Louis, and Warren Baybrooke. Each brother built a manor for their respective families and lived happily for a while. One day, Olivier had eaten some of the vegetables in his garden, unaware that something was amiss with them. At the first stroke of midnight, he became possessed with such intense, otherworldly anger that he killed his own family, his brothers, and their families. The anger that possessed him did not wear off until morning. When he regained his senses, he was overcome with fear, panic, and grief. It is believed that Olivier buried his family before quickly vanishing. The townspeople nearby had sent out search parties looking for him, yet no one was able to discover his whereabouts. As the years passed by, the plant life around the family graves turned brown, and unexplainable anomalies continued to occur around the manor.

With some recent scientific developments, researchers discovered that there are mind-controlling parasites living in the farmland surrounding the manor. Within the past 10 years, the numbers of these parasites infecting the land have significantly increased to where Magical Infection Control has stepped in to figure out ways to reduce their numbers.

The Baybrooke Manor has a dark and twisted past that was a direct cause of the magical creatures living in the grounds. It goes to show just how important it is to pay attention in your Magical Creature Studies classes and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Remember to stay informed about the developments and movements regarding these parasites, as you do not want to get infected either. Stay safe and have a wonderful day! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Conjuring Change: A Guide to Magical New Year’s Resolutions!
Lifestyle
Written by yakko__
Edited by littledead
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Happy holidays, Daily Diviner readers! After a wonderful year, the time for New Year’s resolutions is upon us. A New Year’s resolution can be many different things, but generally, it is a decision to improve one’s behavior, lifestyle, or to achieve something. Sometimes it can be hard to narrow down what your resolution should be, especially in the magical world, because there are so many things to choose from. Have no fear, however, as I have put together this guide to try and solve that problem. Whatever your resolution ends up being, I hope it will show you that there are plenty of ways to make it just as magical as you are!

As many of our readers are still students at Hogsworth, we will be starting out this guide with ideas for school-centric resolutions. First, of course, is working on improving your grade in a specific magical subject, such as Potions. It is such a tricky subject, and even little mistakes can turn your concoctions volatile. Perfecting your Potions skills will mean more than just a better grade, as it will also help keep you and your classmates safe!

You can also aim high and do your best to help your Hogsworth house win the House Cup. Though if all of our young readers across the Houses chose this resolution, the results would probably be quite interesting. But, if the House Cup doesn’t interest you, try your hand at learning how to cook a new magical dish. The kitchens at Hogsworth are incredible to work in, and knowing how to cook is an incredibly important skill. Making it magical just makes it even more fun!

Of course, there are plenty of resolutions that you can make that have nothing to do with school. A relatively easy one would be improving at casting a certain spell you struggle with, especially if it’s one you might need to use often. One of my resolutions is to get better at casting the incredibly helpful Appareo spell so I can land exactly where I need to more consistently… and while still standing on my feet. Similarly, you could focus on improving yourself in an entire branch of magic. You can spend your time researching and practicing many different things, from Transfiguration or Charms, to Defense or Divination.

For those of you who want a real challenge, you can resolve to craft a spell of your very own! The previous resolution would help with that as well, as you could use all of your practice to inform your experiments. Creating a new spell just to prove that you can, or to help others, is an impressive feat that requires plenty of dedication and hard work. This makes it a fantastic resolution for someone who is looking for one that is more work-oriented.

Those are all of my suggestions for magical New Year’s resolutions! I hope that some of these will help you or inspire you to make up resolutions of your own. Keep in mind that resolutions can be quite fun and that you do not have to stress over them too much. Do your best, and we can all work on improving ourselves together!