The Daily Diviner - Issue 11

[The Daily Diviner]

The Revelius Update
Feature
Written by Aviforma
Edited by Polarxo
​

Greetings friends, family, and fans, and welcome to another edition of the Daily Diviner! In these dark times, there has always been a light on the horizon to guide us. For us Hogsworth students and lurking graduates, the Potterworld team offered this light to us on a silver platter, by the name of the Revelius Update. What is the Revelius Update, you may ask? Well, it will be a revamp of the server with new gameplay and world mechanics that you can explore! And, it is only two months away!

Before we continue, though, I want to hype you up for the rest of the articles in this edition of the Daily Diviner! This week we bring to you information about a shift in leadership for the Griffin House; a recap on the April Dueling and Flying tournaments; take a peek at different Marketplace shops and discover insider tips; and more! So be sure to stick around and read through the other articles as well. Now back onto Revelius...

Recently (and by which I mean April 4th), the Potterwatch and Game Design team collaborated and presented a trailer for the update, teasing the events to come! Haven’t seen the video yet? Fear not! For I will be your guide through all you need to know about this forthcoming update. Already watched the video? You, too, should still read on! Maybe you’ll discover something new (or not, if you’re the Head of Game Design, FLiiiPENDO, perhaps).

So... the video! While it only revealed (or should I say, Revelius-ed) some information about the forthcoming update, the trailer features many updated builds and locations that we can only assume will be located on the new, connected, world map that the video immediately introduces. With this new world map, the trailer boasts over 20 new towns and regions and “Unique Mob Locations” and “Location Discovery”, displaying various different scenes of the new world. We witness the illustrious outline of the Dwelling, a camp full of trolls, and finally, a mysterious land with a massive skull.

If that wasn’t enough to get you hyped, the video enters a sequence of new gameplay features such as: “Updated Magic System”, “Professions Rework”, “New Gear Crafting”, and “100+ World Quests”. I, for one, am incredibly excited for this last one especially, as questing will be a fun way of adventuring around the server with friends.

What can we make of this trailer? From watching the video, I’ve come up with several new analytical cryptids hidden in the update. Firstly, it’s going to be MASSIVE! Look at this - new creatures and unique locations for each of them? Imagine the sheer effort it would take to build all of those, much less a world connecting them! Furthermore, 20+ towns replacing the current five is a massive leap. And even more, there’ll be quests dotted throughout these towns giving each of them a welcoming and unique personality. Let’s not miss out either on the magnificence that will be gear. I can’t wait to see the look on my friend’s faces when I strut into the Great Hall with a shiny set of new armor! I suppose they, too, will have their own unique set of gear, but mixing and matching with our new options only adds to the fun!

But enough from me, let’s hear what you all, the players, have to say about this trailer and the Revelius Update. I asked, you answered, and I am here, now, reporting their answers to you:

What’s your favorite part about the update?
Most players look forward to the new content drop that we’ll all be witness to on July 4th, the confirmed date of the Revelius Update’s release. Skilled duelist and flyer MagmaMeMilky says “my favorite part about the update is the amount of content and quests that are going to be included. I can’t wait to play and explore the magical world!” Me too!
And while you will have to wait and see this new addition for yourself, Courtney favors the new potions system, a new immersive experience that allows for even more opportunity for the profession.

What are you hoping that Revelius will improve the most?
From my interview experience, it seems that the players are most looking forward to the improved exploration and storylines that Revelius will bring, especially in terms of quests and various challenges.
Another well-versed duelist, Krynos, talks about the opportunity to attract even more players to the server: “I hope that the update will bring more people coming back to finish the many quests it will have to offer.”
Others look forward to the revamp of professions (especially its many items) and seeing a new difficulty scale for mobs.

Any other sentiments?
Krynos: “Gear is gonna be interesting depending on how much it affects dueling. And if it’ll be the big decider in tournaments.” What an interesting point, and something we’ll definitely have to keep an eye out for! I know I will still be trying to compete in the upcoming tournaments- maybe I’ll see you all at a qualifier donning new sets of gear!

In conclusion, this update has had a long time coming but it will certainly be worth the wait. I want to thank all of those who have taken a part in bringing us this update, including but not limited to the Build team for their unique world additions, the Game Design team for their lore and enhanced quests/professions options, as well as you all, the players, whose feedback and suggestions have helped guide the Revelius work as well. With all of the new quests and locations, maybe the Ministry will be distracted enough so that I can come out of hiding! All jokes aside, Revelius will be an incredible step for Potterworld, and there’s something to look forward to for everyone. I’m excited, and I hope you are too! Now go catch up on the trailer if you haven’t and join the wait for July 4th!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

A New Leader of Bravery
Editorial
Written by anderuwu
Edited by maddinq​

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Editorial column at another issue of the Daily Diviner! Griffins are known as a symbol of courage, bravery, and strength across Hogsworth. Their leader is the icon that has and will lead them to their victories in the House Cup, such as in June of 2019! There have been many Heads of Griffins in the past, most recently being our very own Gracelyn. She inspired the hearts of the many students in the house of Griffins, however, she recently retired as Head of Griffins. This occurrence left FLiiiPENDO to take her place. Many students may be shocked and taken aback by this sudden authority shift, so we asked you, the readers, how you were feeling about the newest Head of Griffins. Allow me to introduce the following Griffins: TbhKate_, Aarooncia, and Griffin staff member 0ceqn. They have joined us today to tell us how they feel about such a significant change in the leadership of their house.

What do you think are important qualities for the Head of Griffins and the house as a whole to have?
Kate: I believe the most important traits and qualities for the Head of Griffin are dedication and positivity. The Head of Griffin must be dedicated to their house, and motivate house members by having a positive attitude. Without a positive and dedicated Head of House, Griffins wouldn't have anyone to follow, and wouldn't be motivated to get as many points as we do! These two traits along with bravery are very important to have in order to be a Griffin. We are an extremely dedicated house, and our community is nothing but positive.
Aaron: Obviously, as we are the house of the brave, we need someone who is confident and up to the task of dealing with our nonsense! It's important that they are able to work with us in a manner that will appease everyone.
Shira: We need to support each other and spread positivity. Working as a team and having group goals are certainly what make us stronger.

How do you think the newest head of house, FLiiiPENDO, has displayed these qualities or how will he display such as he continues as your head of house?
Kate: Flip has displayed dedication and positivity by the devotion he has put into the staff team. When I was a staff member along with Flip, it was evident that he committed countless hours into the server to help it be the best it can be. Also, he loves to joke around, so the positivity is definitely there! I am confident that Flip will do a great job as Head of Griffins.
Aaron: Fliii-who? Oh, him. I mean, as long as he makes pasta! From a Divination standpoint I can definitely foresee success in the future! Perhaps homemade parmesan cheese!
Shira: He is competent at dueling and I think that the willingness to win will be displayed nicely as a head of house.

What role do you think a leader plays in encouraging unity in the house and how do you think your newest leader could potentially lead your house to victory?
Kate: The role of Head of Griffins is much more important than one might think. Although it is just a roleplay role, the Head of Griffins has the task of motivating our house to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be. Whether that be going the extra step in classes to get an O+ and house points, or pushing through the daily activity board, the head of our house has the ability to motivate students to earn more house points for our house. This is why a leader plays a vital role in the success of our house, because not only can they encourage students to earn more points, but they also can stimulate house unity through their actions. The Head of Griffins is here to keep us together, motivate us, and remind us that we are the very best house in Hogsworth! I am extremely confident that Flip will lead Griffins to victory once again, through his positive attitude and dedication to Potterworld as well as our wonderful house of Griffins.
Aaron: As I said, as long as there is pasta for days I'd call it a win-win. What's that? No more talk about food? Fine. I do hope to see that we are able to be supported enough to be able to win the House Cup!
Shira: I think good leaders lead by example. Seeing him earning house points might encourage other Griffins to do the same.

I would like to personally thank the interviewees for letting us know their opinions on the newest changes in Hogsworth. Based on their encouraging statements, it seems as if students are excited and curious as to the unique direction that FLiiiPENDO will lead the Griffins to. We hope that the newest Head of Griffins can inspire students to be brave and strong in the most nerve-racking or stressful of times. Thank you to all of you wonderful readers for tuning in; this has been Andreu with the latest news at the Daily Diviner. Stay safe everyone!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

April and It's Releases
Editorial
Written by RiverberryRani
Edited by AriaChi​

Greetings Witches and Wizards, and welcome to the second editorial article for this edition of the Daily Diviner! In today’s piece, we will be looking into the range of store items that Potterworld has released in the store this April. In the last few weeks, Potterworld released an assortment of different cosmetic items, from hats to emotes, and I’ll be bringing you coverage on all of them. All of their relevant information can be found here! With that being said, let’s get right into it, shall we?

On the 1st of April, April Fool’s Day, the Head of the Community Management department, DenizTM, announced that there were a total of eight new store items for players of the server to purchase. The full list of these include:

• Red, Yellow, Blue & Green Bowler Hats
• Pet Rubber Duck
• Pet Sheep
• Kindness Emotes Pack (10 emotes included)
• Flower Staff

Despite the major prank that Deniz had played on the staff members by changing their house colors, he confirmed that this wasn’t a joke. In addition to the announcement, a render showcasing the new store items was also presented on both the discord and the forums. The prices for the above mentioned that the items range from $4.99 USD to $9.99 USD. The Bowler Hats are $4.99 each, the pet Rubber Duck is $6.99, the Kindness Emotes and the Flower Staff are $7.99 while the pet Sheep is $9.99. Not too bad!

I also interviewed a Store Manager, one of the new roles in the Community Management department. As the name implies, Store Managers handle the store and are in charge of the monthly releases! Media Lead and Store Manager Sunnya was generous enough to let me ask her a few questions regarding the items

What item would you most recommend to students?
Oh gosh, it's hard to pick one! Well, the Rubber Duck is my ultimate favorite, but other than that, I recommend getting one of the Bowler Hats. Droobledore made them look so cool and unique! They also would work really well for when you're showing off repping your house colors and want to show spirit.

How do you personally feel about the April releases?
I honestly feel so great about them! This was the first release that I was really involved with setting up, and it was really exciting. There's so much that goes into preparing a sale that people aren't aware of. Us Store Managers worked together to come up with the items and seeing them in-game was great. I made the Rubber Duck pet, so seeing that item in-game made me really happy.

Where do you think the future of the store releases is going?
There's a lot planned for future releases! We're hoping to release items more frequently, so we're already planning things for the coming months. You'll just have to wait and see what gets released! We are very open to suggestions for more items to release on the store, so if anyone has an idea, please share it with us on the forums.

In addition to Sunnya’s perspective, I, as a member of the Potterworld community, am looking forward to the new items that will be released in the future! I’d love to see some more purple items in the store; what about you guys? If you have any suggestions, as Sunnya mentioned, make a thread on the forums and you might see your suggestion in store next! After reviewing all the items, I must say that the Flower Staff is my favorite! It’s unique and very stylish, I love seeing my friends wear it!

In conclusion, the Potterworld staff members managing the store have, as always, done an absolutely amazing job. They’ve managed to create unique and creative items for the rest of us to enjoy, and at such a low price too! I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Sunnya who let me interview her for this edition’s article, and would like to remind everyone to check out the store before spring is over. Have a wonderful night or day Witches and Wizards, I’ll see you next time.

 

[The Daily Diviner]

April Dueling and Flying Tournaments
Games & Sports
Written by Serpentella
Edited by ShaneChi​

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to another issue of the Daily Diviner! In this issue’s Games & Sports column, we’ll be discussing a PW favorite: monthly tournaments! As per monthly tradition, Potterworld’s Arena Masters hosted the beloved dueling and flying tournaments earlier this month. If you are new to Potterworld or its tournaments, I’ll give you the run-down of what they are and how they work! Every month, students compete for a place in the flying and dueling tournaments. While the qualifiers narrow down our competitors to a mere six per house- including three main competitors and three backups- the finals are where the real action happens. The teams of three face off to see which house comes out victorious. Flippy, Roald, Anastasia, Leyla, and Linds, our Arena Masters, host the monthly tournaments to provide friendly competition between houses.

Speaking of friendly competition, let’s take a look at our competitors, shall we? Every house proudly boasts numerous wins, but recently, Honeybadgers have made themselves known as ‘the house to beat’ after winning both tournaments time and time again. Serpents have also earned quite a few wins within the past year, placing first in flying this February. This Serpent win marked the end of an era for Honeybadger’s streak, as Griffins won both tournaments in March. However, let’s not forget about the ex-tournament powerhouse: Ravens! Will the Honeybadgers reclaim their throne, or will the Ravens emerge from their “tournament hibernation” and begin their reign again? All of your questions will be answered today!

However, before we jump to our results, let’s hear what some students and staff have to say about April’s tournaments! I asked MattyPoltergeist, Rettili45, zachmath15, and LindsYUH a few questions regarding Potterworld’s flying and dueling traditions. Let’s hear their answers!


Have you ever competed in one of Potterworld’s tournaments?
M: I have competed many times in Potterworld tournaments, even winning once for Serpents.
R: I’ve never competed in a tournament.
Z: Yes, but only once; I flew in the flying tournament in September 2018.
L: I competed in the Winter Waltz Dueling Duos and Flying Teams tournament in 2019. I was also a finalist in June 2019’s flying tournament.

What are your predictions for April’s flying and dueling tournaments?
M: Personally, I believe that both Dueling and Flying Tournaments will be won by Serpents. They have outstanding and experienced players with all of them winning previous tournaments. I do think that this month's finals will be extremely close seen as each house has really great players.
R: I think that the Griffins have some nice finalists, but the Honeybadgers have good chances too in my opinion. Who knows!
Z: I’m thinking the Honeybadgers want to get back on top in the flying tournaments and reclaim their dynasty. As for the dueling tournaments, I think the Ravens have a good chance this time and I’d like to see our house come in and claim a big victory!
L: My predictions for April’s tournaments are that Serpents will win both flying and dueling! There are many strong flyers/duelists for this month though, so the outcome may be close.
Those are some great ideas from all of the players and staff! Now, let’s get into what everyone’s been waiting for: the April 2020 tournament results!


Let’s first begin with the flying finals! This month, the Serpents’ team of MagmaMeMilky, JackkFrost, and Sticktrees tore through the competition with a whopping 11 points and won in two out of the three rounds! Honeybadgers ended up in second, with Ravens following for third. After the finals, I talked with MagmaMeMilky to get some insight on the Serpent team strategy and training process. “Before the tournament we all went into the flying minigame and practiced at the Phoenix base. When we went into the actual tournament our strategy was to pretty much rush the whole course and slow down when we went into underground sections.” Aspiring flyers, take notes!

Next, let’s jump into the results of the dueling finals! The dueling finals left Serpents with a clean sweep! The team from our flying finals won after a tense series of tie-breaker matches against the Honeybadgers and Ravens. In the end, Badgers came in second place with three points from the tie-breaker round and Ravens close behind with two. Similar to the flying finals, I asked Sticktrees and JackkFrost about their strategies. Both duelists discussed their tactic of wearing down their opponents before targeting each duelist one by one. “Wifi was definitely a setback for our team. However, after 3 wifi crashes, our team was able to secure the victory.” What a story!

April’s tournaments proved to be quite the battle, and each and every duelist and flyer put their all into the competition. I’d like to congratulate MagmaMeMilky, JackkFrost, and Sticktrees on their incredible wins! Every team did an incredible job representing their house in our April flying and dueling tournaments. I’m thrilled to see what happens next month! Will the Serpents continue their new legacy, or will the Badgers return for revenge? Or, maybe, will the Ravens and Griffins swoop in and snatch the title next month? All of our questions will be answered in May’s tournaments! A huge thanks to everyone who contributed to the article and to all of our readers! The Daily Diviner wishes you an amazing rest of your day. Stay safe, folks!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Leo, Virgo, Libra and Scorpio Horoscope!
Lifestyle
Written by Carolllyn
Edited by AriaChi​

Hello my Witch and Wizard readers! It’s time for part two of a compilation of horoscopes! Missed the first one? That is sad to hear, but at least you are here now. Let’s go over the basics: a horoscope is what many believe to be a little guidance that the universe decided to give us and your horoscope is based on your zodiac signs, representing much of who you are. Today, we will be going over the sun signs, Leo (the sign of yours truly), Virgo, Libra, and Scorpio. Before continuing, I suggest figuring out what your sun sign is by looking up the zodiac dates and finding out where your birthday corresponds.

Leo: Alright, my Leos out there! We are Queens of the Zodiac. Feisty, confident, and entertaining; a person of this zodiac sign will definitely amount to something impressive. I suggest that you follow a passion of yours or spread your warm vibes to others. Becoming the best duelist, magical performer, or anything else in the history of the wizarding world seemed hard just a few days ago, but soon taking on a challenge will come to you more easily than ever, placing you on the top of your game.

Virgo: Hello, Virgos. Have you ever noticed your complete obsession with perfection? If you have, good. If not, better start paying more attention. It seems no job done by you guys could ever come out sloppy. And, in the near future, you just might be able to get anything done at utmost perfection. It will be nothing short of dazzling. Try pronouncing some spells you have never been able to say, Leviomora, perhaps or even master that potion you have always had trouble brewing.

Libra: Libras are the most balanced of the zodiac signs. Your emotions are balanced, your actions are balanced, you are balanced. And recently, if you have had a lot on your plate and feel overwhelmed on one side of the scale, pretty soon you will find a way to your happy place once again. Say you’ve had a lot of work at Hogsworth; feeling stressed, unable to outway it. Taking a break and treating yourself will be especially helpful during this time.

Scorpio: Scorpios are known for their negative traits such as jealousy and violence. But, you guys are also known to be determined. You will stop at nothing to conquer something you set your mind to. Right now, it would be a good idea to set your sights on undoing any unwanted traits of your reputation. Try doing some good deeds such as offering your help to a lower year student, being a good team member in a game like Quabbleball, or donating a bit of gold to S.P.E.W. However tainted you may be, now is the time to heal it.

So, guys. Do you find this accurate? I think so! I’m very excited to heed some of the advice my horoscope gave me, and I hope you guys do the same. What will you do to expedite the process your horoscope entailed? Let me know by messaging me in-game, direct messaging me on discord, or, my favorite way, sending me a book and quill via the owlery! If your zodiac sign hasn’t been featured in the last two issues, please stay tuned for the next one. You will finally get your horoscope and it will be worth your while. I hope you guys enjoyed this article. This is Carolyn Lestrange reporting for the Daily Diviner!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Marketplace Wonders
Lifestyle
Written by Spaghelle
Edited by ShaneChi​

Greetings my dear friends, and welcome back to yet another thrilling edition of the Daily Diviner! Your favorite columnist Elle is back with a special edition of this week’s Lifestyle, in which we are taking a wonderful trip to one of the most well known locations on Potterworld: the Marketplace! The Marketplace is a shop for players to sell goods to others to earn a profit of gold; many items are sold, ranging from mob drops to collectables. The menu to begin your business is accessible by typing /shop on any main world, but if you are not ready to become a merchant, no worries; a quick whirl through your Warpkey bag and you’re right in the center of Vertick Alley to fulfill your shopping needs!

Inside of the Marketplace, your shopping experience is optimized with a clean menu for each category of item that you can choose from. You’re able to find your goods quickly and find the best offer, meaning the cheapest price, for each. As you click on an item it’s added to your basket, and voila! With only a few simple clicks, you’re done. Although, because you find only the best price, finding your friend’s shops is difficult. However, right outside of the central shop are streets of vendors, and for just 100 gold per week you can rent out a booth for every player to view your listings! If you are unable to afford this though, you can place a shopkeeper right on your housing instead.

As in everything, some people are natural professionals at the sales scheme! I believe that certain merchants go above and beyond with their shop quality, beyond the simple Marketplace appearance. This platform is a wonderful way for players to showcase their skills, so I selected some rising entrepreneurs to share insights from their side of the vendor’s booth.

YeetChris comes in strong with a wide variety of items in stock! Rare items are her specialty, but for affordable prices that no other shop can match; it’s perfect for a player starting their collection! This shop is found both in her housing and in a booth at Vertick Alley. She truly marked herself as a rising businesswoman of Potterworld at the beginning of this year’s Spring Event, taking advantage of the demand for necessary event items. Let us hear what she has to say!

Q: How do you decide prices on your items, especially rare objects?
A: Well, I check the Marketplace and then I divide the average price by two so that everyone can have a chance to get the items that they want.

Q: Would you consider your shop to be a big part of your Potterworld experience?
A: Yeah, I guess so! You need gold for everything and I find that owning a shop is a fun yet easy way to make some extra gold.

Q: Do you have any final words you’d like players to know about your shop?
A: Yes! Please, buy my stuff, and have a good day.

Check out the shop, start collecting, and stay tuned for our next special guest!

Potterworld is full of legends, and 1psaonly’s shop has its place among them. While the profession ingredients may come at high prices, the quality of purchase is what really shines through in this shop and makes it one of the best economic ventures in the server’s history! This vendor is found at their housing, and suggested to anyone in search of hard-to-find ingredients! I asked a few questions so we can gain insight.

Q: How do you decide which items to sell at your shop?
A: I generally only sell professions ingredients, although I do also sell event items and anything else that I am in the mood for. Since I have finished all 3 professions, I remember which ingredients that I found were the hardest for me to obtain, and I sell those ingredients. I also sell any other ingredients that vibe well with me!

Q: Would you consider your shop to be a big part of your Potterworld experience? .
A: I consider my shop to be there. I enjoy it’s existence, but I do not expect to sell anything. This means whenever I do sell even one item, I am pleasantly surprised.

Q: Do you have any final words you’d like players to know about your shop?
A: I believe in a flat price on most of my shop items. If the marketplace ever runs out of an ingredient, chances are I probably have it in designer pricing. If you ever need anything, feel free to message me! It is a real life dollar store, and as I always say, quality over quantity!

Our final guest is unlike the others, because in fact they operate a shop that doesn’t run on the Marketplace at all! MeikeTheCat brought in a new trade, with the introduction of her Heads Museum. By visiting her housing, you get a gallery full of the heads of notable members and the chance to buy them. Heads run for 20 gold each: a true financial genius is rising to the top of the chain, so watch out! She came to answer a few questions:

Q: What advice would you give to a player who’s getting started in selling their items?
A: My advice is to let friends help. For me, this means they helped build the area, and also helped retrieve heads for the shop. It’s also really fun to build and do things for your shop with your friends.

Q: Would you consider your shop to be a big part of your Potterworld experience?
A: I really want to let my shop be a bigger part of the server, not many people know about it and I think that a lot of people would love it.

Q: Do you have any final words you’d like players to know about your shop?
A: Well, they should definitely visit my museum too. The shop is part of the museum and you can buy heads there. The museum has a few rooms and we're showing almost all staff heads. Currently they are both closed, but it will be announced when they are opened again.

That’s all from our guests for today! I’m so pleased that we were able to learn a few tips and tricks from the best merchants in every corner of Potterworld. From regular items, to collectables, ingredients, and even heads, our interviewees truly showed that you can turn just about anything into a profit! Personally, I visited each and was left in awe of the quality experience that all three held up. I certainly recommend them to anyone looking for specific items, or even just perusing the shops of Potterworld! Go out and give them a look, and stay tuned for the next edition of the Lifestyle column!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Household Chores: Can They Be Done More Easily?
Lifestyle
Written by MamaDuckie
Edited by Cweamish​

A common task in the everyday life of a witch or wizard can be dull, tedious and time consuming. No one wants to spend hours doing laundry or cleaning the house from top to bottom like a house elf, so why should you have to? As part of the magical community you are just that, magical, and can use household spells to make tasks easier. My question is why? Sure, having the dishes clean themselves is easy or having your broom pull double duty in the mud room sounds fine, however, you still need to wait for them to complete their goal. What about laundry? If you’re living by yourself it’s not so bad, but think of those who are in charge of it for their whole family!

Witches and wizards across the globe have been trying to find out easier ways to do the menial tasks of running a household for centuries. Why do you think they started creating spells specifically for use around the home? Just last week, there was a wizard in my neighborhood who was so fed up with the gnomes in his garden that he covered the entire place in stone! At first the rest of us though he was crazy before we realized that the gnomes had stopped eating his crops, but that is where it all went downhill. And what about that witch - I forget her name - who a few years ago tried to enchant a non-magical contraption to do her laundry for her and it exploded on her! Quite terrible really, but they had good intentions I suppose.

Let’s think outside the box then - If the spells created for these tasks still require us to work, then what can we do? I’ve thought about this time and time again and I’ve come to the conclusion that the issue isn’t that they’re inefficient, but that they lack firepower and creativity. There’s no doubt in my mind that there has never been anyone who has tried doing household chores with combat spells. Yes, you heard me right! Combat spells!

Now, I have gone and tested these spells out myself along with some other ways that were utter fails that others had used - except for covering my garden in stone since I don’t have one. I even tested out a few muggle ways, but they were even more drawn out than common household spells. The laundry problem was solved by casting ‘Minificus’ on everything, washing them all at once. A well-placed ‘Ventimus’ dried them and afterwards it was a simple ‘Engorgimus’ to bring them back to their normal size. The only problem I found was that my favorite sweater didn’t seem to properly enlarge. I later found that ‘Ventimus’ was also good for blowing all of that dust right out the window - along with everything else, but at least the room was clean! ‘Archnipello’ certainly helped with keeping all the pesky spiders away. While ‘aquatimentum’ is great for cleaning dishes, just make sure they’re exceptionally sturdy ones otherwise you’ll be finding yourself needing to replace them. The best one of all was one I was taught by an old witch just down the street. Apparently, she uses the ‘Orchiflora’ spell to make her garden bloom beautifully each spring, without any of the less than ideal drawbacks the others gave.

Do these new ways work? They do indeed! Somewhat perhaps even overly so, though they do work. In addition, they’re also quite effective, but I would suggest using a little less enthusiasm than I, otherwise you will find yourself replacing more items than you need to. However, I definitely recommend trying out some of these combat spells for your chores, well, with the exception of the one for dishes! After several attempts at using it with different amounts of strength behind the spells, I came to the conclusion that I would rather just wash them by hand than have to replace my entire dining set again.

Looking back, I wonder if we really need to be saving roughly five extra minutes per chore. Is there really a need to put so much effort into creating spells for household work, or in this case, utilizing other spells to do the work for us? No matter the answer, I advise everyone to take precautions when using magic for means other than their initial intended use. One never knows the type of damage they can inflict with ill practice of magic! On the other side, I do encourage people to think outside the box. You never know what good can come from a little bit of creativity and experimentation until you try it. Who knows, you may just make history with one of your discoveries! Like next week, I plan on trying to make discoveries of my own - the usage of Charms in hair coloring!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

I'm Gonna Call You George
Original Works
Written by MamaDuckie
Edited by maddinq​

Amidst the bustling streets of the shopping districts of London sits a rather peculiar area, hidden behind barriers of magic sits Diagonal Lane. Stores line the cobblestone street filled with everything a witch or wizard could need. On this day, the district was filled with those preparing for a new school year at Hogsworth with a late summer sunshine hovering over their heads. Among the shoppers was Maddie Doxsin with her children Gracie and Bailey. Gracie, who was going into her seventh and final year of school, was busy telling her rather excited little brother about all the fun he would have in his upcoming second year.

“...and you’ll just love all the new things you’ll get to learn, especially in Herbology. The professor will start teaching about Mandrakes!” she gushed, grinning from ear to ear. “You get your own owl this year also, isn’t that cool?”

Bailey, in awe at his sister like always, clung onto her every word and nodded feverishly as she spoke. Unlike his sister who was a Raven, Bailey was going into his second year as a Griffin and was far less excited about the classes than she was. He was, however, thrilled to finally be getting his own owl. “Will I get to pick my own owl?” he asked his mother.

“Of course, dear,” his mother told him. “It is your owl after all.”

Crying out happily, Bailey dashed off down the street leaving his mother and sister behind him laughing as he made a beeline for the Magical Menagerie. Pressing his face against the window of the shop, he spotted all sorts of magical beasts. From owls and toads to Pink Fluff and various snakes. His eyes widened in excitement.

Turning to face his family, he grinned and shouted, “Hurry up!”, then hurried into the shop. In his rush, he ran right into someone just inside the door and was knocked off his feet.

“Easy there,” a rather tall man said, reaching out his hand to help Bailey up. “In a rush, are we?”

Bailey nodded wordlessly, allowing the man to help him up.

“Oh, I am so sorry about him. He’s in a hurry to get his first owl,” Bailey’s mother said upon entering the shop.

The tall man smiled at her. “It’s no problem, ma’am. If it’s an owl he’s looking for, then he’s come to the right place.” He straightened up and turned to look at Bailey. “I’m the shopkeeper on duty today, Tyler Greyson, and you are?”

“B-Bailey.”

“Well then, Bailey, are you ready to find yourself an owl?” the shopkeeper asked, watching with a grin as Bailey nodded. “Right then. This way, follow me.”

With a glance at his mother who hurried him along, then turned to look at one of the shelves, Bailey followed after the shopkeeper with Gracie right behind him. As they walked, he noticed that they were headed right for the owl section of the shop where nearly all the owl eyes turned to look at them. He couldn’t believe just how many different types of owls there actually were. Large ones, small ones, brown ones, white ones and all of them looking at the trio intently.

“This one here, she’s a snowy owl. She’s still young, so she has a good fifteen years left on her and she'll be about double in size when full grown, so around 24-30in max. Usually snowy owls are found within tundra regions, but they’ve been known to be spotted all across Europe as well, however, don’t expect to see too many others. They have fairly distinct colors, so they blend in as well as other owls, making them easier to track if a witch or wizard has an enemy,” Tyler told the pair, then winked seeing the boy pale at the mention of enemies. “I don’t think you have any adversaries to worry about just yet. Besides, snowy owls tend to make great and loyal companions.”

Bailey watched as his sister grinned, stroking the owls feathers gently. “She’s pretty,” he commented, reaching up to pet the bird as well. He jumped when the petite bird took flight and headed up into the rafters of the shop just before he could touch her.

Gracie laughed. “They can be a bit testy as well, can’t they?” she stated, turning knowingly towards the shopkeeper.

“Right you are, especially that one.” Tyler moved to another owl that puffed it’s chest out in a proud way, but being just over a foot in height made him look pudgy. “Tawny’s are stockie owls and this guy here won’t grow any bigger than he already is. They have a shorter life span than most other owls, but you have to be careful with birds of prey as they will try to scoop them up,” He pointed to the owl next to it who was roughly the same height, but quite thinner. “Barn owls. Very common around these parts. They’re best sent off at night for deliveries though as they have great eyesight, even in the dark. Just like his buddy here, he won’t get much bigger either.”

The trio walked down the row, past some more tawny and barn owls until they came to a rather small owl with tall ears on top of its head. It’s feathers were ruffled quite a bit, making it look chubby. Bailey’s eyes lit up at this owl and he got closer to it, then turned to his sister with a huge grin on his face.

“Sis! Look at how fat he is! I just wanna hug him!” he exclaimed loudly, pointing his finger at the owl. He meant it lovingly, however, the owl seemed to be offended by his comment as it had nipped at his finger in annoyance. Bailey cried out, pulling his finger back and looking exceptionally put off by the bird. “He’s mean.”

Gracie gave a soft laugh at him. “I think he was just offended by being called fat. Sometimes it’s also to show their affection. Right?” she asked the shopkeeper who nodded, though he gave the bird a stern look. “See? He probably just likes you.”

“And he’ll be around until you’re an old man too. They live up to about sixty years, so if he likes you, that’s a friend for life that is,” the shopkeeper told him.

“He’s a long-eared owl, isn’t he? They’re small, long living owls, but they fly a bit slower than most others?” Gracie looked to the shopkeeper again for confirmation, who looked at her impressed by her knowledge. “We learned about owls a few years ago in school.”

“So, he likes me?” Bailey asked, and both his sister and Tyler nodded at him.

Twenty minutes later, the small family exited the shop with Bailey carrying an owl cage where the owl was pointedly avoiding looking at him, then headed to get ice cream as a small treat for the day. As they sat outside the shop, Bailey scooped some ice cream onto his finger and offered it to the owl who hesitantly accepted it before scooting to the side of the cage as if asking for more. It was then that the young Griffin decided that the owl was going to be his new best friend and he smiled happily at it.

“I think I’m gonna call you George.”

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Chasing After Dark
Original Works
Written by Silquer
Edited by maddinq​

The day was almost gorgeous. Almost, because the sky was cloudless, but the sun had already sunk below the tan buildings littering the sides of the London street. Almost, because although the apartments and complexes were magnificent pieces of architecture to behold, anyone who looked up would be jostled by the ever-moving crowd. Almost, because Marie Lockwood and her companion, Ryan West, were having a lovely walk after stealing a precious prophecy from under the Ministry’s nose, but they were now being followed by four Aurorlocks.

“They’re still following us,” Marie murmured, trying not to look over her shoulder for the umpteenth time. “I thought we lost them at the last turn.”

“I know,” Ryan whispered back. He dipped his head slightly in the direction of a narrow gap in the monotone buildings, nearly concealed by the sidewalk crowd. “You see that alleyway up ahead?”

Marie, already knowing what his plan was, nodded. “Hopefully only two of them follow me.”

“Hopefully.”

They sidled up to the alley and Marie mock saluted him, whispering, “See you on the other side,” before disappearing into the darkness, leaving Ryan to saunter along the open street alone.

The alley was dark, empty, and smelled of… Marie didn’t know what, and she was content to leave it that way. There were a few different paths leading into darker, danker looking streets, but she shuddered and walked down her own.

She continued her stride, even after four pairs of footsteps joined her own, and she only turned around when she heard the footfalls go silent.

Standing in front of her, blocking her view (and any hope of escape), were all four Aurorlocks that had been following them. She sighed. Just her luck.

“Well, well, well… If it isn’t the traitorous Lockwood,” the Aurorlock in the front sneered.

“And if it isn’t the Ministry lapdog Higgins,” she retorted. She felt a surge of satisfaction as she watched his face turn three different shades of red, but her amusement was short-lived.

Higgens dropped the ‘friendly’ facade as he and his Aurorlock team raised their wands. “Marie Lockwood, former Aurorlock turned Dark Follower, you are under arrest.”

“Not today,” she snarled, and pointed her wand to the nearly concealed sky above. A red flare flew up from her wand and exploded in a flash of bright red sparks. The Aurorlocks flinched away from the Signum spell’s glow, and she used the precious opportunity to dash into one of the adjacent backstreets. She hoped Ryan took the hint.

She flew through murky puddles and, unfortunately, a low-hanging clothesline, before a spell whizzed past her ear, making her eyes widen as it exploded with a Clap! in the air. She stumbled, falling on cold stone, trying not to breathe in mud as her face touched alley ground. Grunting, Marie glanced behind her just in time to see an Aurorlock raise his wand, spell on his mouth. A Flipellius spell to the face shut him up fast.

Spotting a twist in the alley ahead, Marie scrambled to her feet and ran.

She turned the corner, ducking as wayward spells threw dust and brick into the air.

Her stomach dropped to her boots when she caught a glimpse of a dead end ahead. Calming her nerves, she sprinted to the wall, hoping to find some sort of escape waiting for her. A crate, maybe? A hidden street?

Marie looked over her shoulder; the Aurorlocks were right on her heels. Tripping with the effort, she cast Protellomo straight behind her, praying it would buy her enough time to reach the wall.

When she heard something break, Marie glanced behind her to see Higgins on the ground, wiped out by the magical shield. Who knew Protellomo worked as an offensive spell?

Marie reached the brick wall, only to curse quietly. There was nothing. No crates to jump on, no cracks she could break. Just cold, hard, useless stone.

The Protellomo was gone, and the two remaining Aurorlocks had her cornered.

“It’s over, Lockwood. Come with us.” The Aurorlock was panting, hair sleek with sweat, and his buddy didn’t look much better. She glared at them. She wasn’t going down. Not without a fight.

Steeling herself with a deep breath, Marie cast Expulsio at the alley wall.

Brick, cobble, and dirt flew everywhere. She didn’t have time to register what was happening before she was on the ground, ears ringing, hoping the tangy, metallic taste in her mouth wasn’t blood.

She struggled to stand up, grasping at the wall for support.

Both Aurorlocks had fallen with her, but only one moved to stand. With a grim look on his face, he lifted a shaky wand. Marie closed her eyes, too tired to do anything but accept her fate, before a loud-

Flop? Opening an eye, Marie saw Ryan, wand raised, Aurorlock unmoving on the ground.

“Are you… okay?” he asked cautiously, eyeing her deathly appearance.

“No,” she snapped, letting her knees buckle. She wasn’t entirely aware of what happened next, but she discerned the vague sensation of Appareo and the grim satisfaction knowing that the Ministry would have to clean up their mess.