The Daily Diviner - Issue 20

[The Daily Diviner]

The Rise and Fall of the Potterworld Towns Roleplay
Feature
Written by ChaileyChi
Edited by MamaDuckie
​

Welcome back to the Daily Diviner! My name is Chailey and this week I will be recounting the life of an unofficial, player based roleplay organization! Roleplay is a fun way for players to interact and add something to do on the server. Many players will create organizations that focus on a form of roleplay. The organization I will touch on today is ‘Potterworld Towns’.

Most players are very familiar with the words, “Revelius Maintenance”. Most people shudder at the mere thought of it, however, our community stayed strong together. Many players found entertainment in #random on Discord. It began with families trying to claim towns as their property and ended in a 200+ Discord server run by Llama. This was the Potterworld Towns server, which many of you will be familiar with.

To get a better grasp of how the roleplay came to life, we spoke with iSpitLikeALlama ‘Llama’ to get a better idea of how the roleplay started. When asked what his thoughts were as he began to organize the conversations from the Discord, he seemed very shocked by how quickly everything came together. He was amazed at how such one small comment could spark something that could bring such a large portion of the Potterworld community together.

Llama told us that, ‘Essentially, we were all waiting for the Revelius update to come out, just sitting around because we didn’t know exactly when it would be out. In another Discord, I made a joke of land claiming being a thing, just to pass time. I then pasted a list of people who had “claimed” towns in the new update in the Potterworld Discord, jokingly saying something like “anyone else want to claim a town?” It just spiraled out from there, and it felt necessary to make a discord to organize it. It all happened within the span of about six hours, it was crazy.’

The hope of this project was to give players two things. Firstly, something to do throughout the maintenance. After the first day or so, everyone was getting bored with playing minigames and was looking for something else to do. However, this also was for players to have something roleplay based to do once the update came out. It encouraged exploration among the towns as well as an opportunity to compete in “wars”. This was an alternative as the official roleplay was on pause.

The first project was organizing everyone’s suggestions in the Potterworld Discord. Llama and a few others created a document with all of the rules of the roleplay and a spreadsheet with all of the land claims. This was a cohesive list of the families and groups that claimed a specific town. Once this was done, the Discord was founded on June 9th. The server gained over two hundred members in the first 48 hours, surprising Llama and the moderators.

Throughout the time it existed, players loved the energy and the roleplay bickering over all of the towns. Many people climbed on board quickly and as a way to create rules and guidelines, each town was allowed to have two representatives that voted on important topics, which surfaced at meetings. There were three major meetings in the life span of the server. Each meeting really helped shape the organization and helped it flourish and reach all of its goals.

During the 1st meeting, many things were discussed and over 50 people were in a voice call. Some of the major topics that were covered were a 2-week grace period after the update was released and a 1-week grace period after a war ended. Mainly, there were a lot of arguments of what land was claimable and who could claim land. Places like wizarding residences, Hogsworth, Hogsend, London, and allegiance base locations were neutral. Water was not claimable and you had to have a group of more than two in order to claim a town. That group or family then “owned” the town and mob locations around it.

During the 2nd meeting, the concept of war was discussed. It was decided that if you declared war on a town, they couldn’t refuse the declaration. However, the side that the war was declared upon, chose the war activities which were to consist of minigames. Both sides had to come to an agreement on the terms of the war. Towns could lose mob locations, but not the town itself. In the 3rd and final meeting, the idea of war between families and towns wasn’t working. The only war declared was between Rushstone and Antrum which ended up falling through. It was a group decision to replace the wars with bi-monthly town Olympics.

This project was a wonderful demonstration of the Potterworld community, however, the roleplay recently ended. On August 18th, Llama announced the end of the Potterworld Towns roleplay. When asked what made him come to the decision to end the roleplay, he responded, “Since the Revelius update came out, the roleplay seemed to be slowly losing player activity and interest. The roleplay was also very constrained by Potterworld, as you could only duel in certain regions, and playing minigames privately is impossible. That made it very hard to have wars, which was one of the main parts of the roleplay. Meetings would still be held every few weeks to discuss these problems, but slowly, fewer and fewer people showed up, and the Discord was getting an average of five messages a day in public chats. Despite our best efforts to keep the roleplay going, including the Town Olympics, the roleplay felt like it had to come to an end. It was a super enjoyable thing to do in maintenance while waiting for the update, but it just wasn’t going to work out while the actual Revelius update was out.”

Though the roleplay ended, many players still wanted to continue with the Olympics concept. The Town Olympics was supposed to be a compilation of various events such as swimming, archery, a triathlon, and others that the towns participated in. Since the roleplay ended before the first Olympics were held, the plans and preparations are now being shifted into the Potterworld Olympics. Llama is stepping back from this project, leaving Leyak, Maddie, and Spaghelle to continue it.

Llama’s final words on this roleplay is a touching way to remember Potterworld Towns. “For the first week and a half of the roleplay, when we were all still waiting for the update to come out, so many people were talking about the roleplay. What they were claiming, what their land had that other places didn’t. It was one big community. I can’t speak for others, but this roleplay was one of the most fun things I have ever taken part in on Potterworld. Thank you to everyone who helped lead this roleplay, as well as everyone who took part in the roleplay. This roleplay was amazing, but unfortunately, everything must come to an end.”

Overall the town roleplay was a great way to pass time during the maintenance and ended up being a fun interaction between many players and staff. It was something many players will treasure for a long time and a roleplay that will not be forgotten easily. Thank you all for joining me in this tribute to the Potterworld Towns Roleplay. We hope that those of you who participated had fun, and those who didn’t were able to enjoy hearing about it. I hope you all have a great day and tune into the rest of the issue!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

The New and Improved Wiki Team
Editorial
Written by Melioraa
Edited by MamaDuckie
​

Greetings Witches and Wizards, and welcome back to the editorial column of the Daily Diviner! Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen a lot of changes to the server we love, one of which was the introduction of a new Community Management role known as Scribes. But what are Scribes? What do they do? Where is the leadership team leading them in the future? All of these questions and more will be addressed within this article. With the basics covered, let’s get started!

On August 15th, DenizTM, head of Community Management, announced the creation of the Scribe sub-department. He explained in his announcement on the forums that the team will be in charge of maintaining the Potterworld Wiki page, which currently has no ETA on its release. The team consists of three roles. Scribe Intern, Scribe Publisher, and then Scribe Lead, all of which are staff positions. Currently, Scribe Intern apps are only opened to staff members, but there are plans to release them to the public in the coming future. As of now, the team has a total of 6 members, including Jackie000, EricaEH, MaggieChi, SophiaChi, TbhKate_, and finally GarrisonTM, Lead Scribe. While apps are currently only open to staff members, there are plans to release them to the public eventually.

Now that we know what the Scribe team is, why don’t we talk to the Scribe leadership? Garrison was generous enough to let me ask him a few questions in regards to the new sub-team.

Q: What do you have in mind for the future of the Scribe Team? Where do you plan to take them?

A: The main focus of the Scribe team is to create a detailed Wikipedia for the Potterworld community to use, and I want to make sure that we accomplish our goal in making a datahub of information. As the Lead Scribe, my goal is to make an incredibly friendly and community-scaled team that allows each member to pace themselves in their own writings (while following semi-flexible deadlines). We'll be creating and organizing all of the information that you'll end up seeing - most of this information will be available to assist the players whenever necessary. For example, we'll have different pages about different aspects of the server (you'll need to wait and see everything). My goal is to make sure that everyone feels welcome within the team and understands that they are incredibly important to the Potterworld community, especially since they're creating the website that will be used by almost all of the community.

Right now, we're in the early days of the team so we're currently working on the immediate issues that come up so that we can make sure that everything is 100% perfect as we continue to grow and move forward. The Scribes are already working to create pages for the server, and they are doing an amazing job so far! I truly can't wait to see all of the amazing things that this team accomplishes and I hope that everyone appreciates the amount of work that these members are putting in!

Q: What advice would you have for anyone thinking of applying in the future?

A: Go for it! As I said, I'm a true believer in making a team that suits everybody. I want to make sure that everyone feels welcome, and I would love for anybody who is interested in applying for Scribe Intern to go for it! I'd love to hear your opinions on things that you would personally like to see on the Potterworld Wikipedia and what kind of pages that you might be interested in creating. If you ever have any questions about the team or how it works, feel free to reach out to either myself (Garrison) or Deniz!

At the end of the day, I have great faith that the Scribe team will be able to do an absolutely amazing job maintaining and creating the Wiki, and I can’t wait to see what they produce! I’d like to give a huge thank you to Garrison who gave me the honor of discussing the future of the Scribe team with him. I would also like to encourage all those thinking of applying to do so once the apps open. For those who already plan to apply, good luck, and remember to have fun. Thank you for reading the Daily Diviner, until next time!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Exploring New Minigames!
Games and Sports
Written by Silquer
Edited by CelloIsMyLife
​

Hello readers, and welcome to the Game and Sports section of the Daily Diviner! In this article, I’m going to talk about minigames; more specifically, the changes made to the system. With the implementation of these changes, it may be difficult to understand the new structure. With that in mind, let me give you a guide to some of these changes, as well as give a look into a few of the parkours and mazes that were moved around the map. Let's get started!

As discussed in last month’s article “Hidden Minigames,” minigames have changed in some key ways. For example, instead of accessing minigames from the Ministry, players can now find their favorite parkours and mazes scattered across the map in various themed locations. Instead of receiving game tokens to trade for gold upon the completion of a minigame, players are now directly awarded gold. These adjustments may seem small, but they’ve impacted the minigames in a significant way! Now that we understand the new system, let’s go over some mazes and parkours in more detail.

We’ll start our tour in the Hogsworth library. You can find the Library Maze at the back next to the Restricted Section. One way to get there is to go through a red painting in the Transfiguration Courtyard on the left side of the Astronomy Tower. After you enter the painting, follow the signs to the library! Walk to the back and click the sparkling bookshelf to enter the maze! The Library Maze is fairly simple, though the thin passages and tall bookshelves can appear daunting at first glance. Just stay confident and the reward of twenty-five gold is as good as yours! If you’re considering giving this maze a try, let me give you a tip. Since the maze is made up of only small passages and no complicated twists, keep a careful track of your turns. That way, you’ll never get yourself lost! Let’s change directions and head to our next minigame, this time at the very peak of Hogsworth.

Now onto the Tower Parkour, which is located at the top of the Astronomy Tower next to the large telescope. To find the Astronomy Tower, just head north-west from the Great Hall, and you’ll see it right in front of the Transfiguration Courtyard. Travel to the top and click on the telescope to begin the minigame. This tricky parkour has you climbing to the top of the tower using a series of ladder and fence jumps. Make sure to time your jumps, and you’ll make it to the end in no time! The reward of eight gold may not seem worth the trouble, but since the parkour is short, you can complete it several times for a greater reward. A tip for this parkour is to make sure you shift at the last moment of your jump to grab the ladders. Now that we’ve gone through the castle itself, it’s time to explore the grounds of Hogsworth.

Next, we are going to discuss the Dark Forest Parkour. It is located just outside of the Grounds Keeper’s hut in the pumpkin patch. To find his hut, simply travel west of the Great Hall until you reach a wooden bridge. From there, follow the left path down to the hut. The pumpkin patch is right outside! Click on the sparkling pumpkin to enter the first stage of the parkour. This particular minigame is split into four checkpoints that span different environments of the Dark Forest, starting from the grassy forest floor and ending in the dark caves. Each is more difficult than the last. It may prove to be a challenge, but the reward of fifty gold is worth the frustration. The best tip I can give you for this parkour is to stay calm and do your best to avoid falling into the previous checkpoint. Finally, let’s move on to the last minigame.

The final minigame we’re going to cover is Grimlott’s Maze, which can be accessed from the front desk at Grimlott’s in Diagonal Lane. If you don’t know how to get there, there are two simple ways: you can warp there using Fire Dust, or bycan taking the train from Hogsend to London. Either way, once you reach Diagonal Lane, head straight and you’ll find Grimlott’s at the very end. Just inside the bank is the front desk. Once inside the maze, you’ll have to find your way through the cramped, musty halls of the bank to reach the reward of twenty gold. My tip for this maze is to ignore the unusual shape of the hallways. Although it can make navigating the twists and turns confusing, the maze is simple when you take your time. I recommend giving it a try!

After going over all of these minigames, I hope you can agree with me that both the removal of game tokens and the relocation of the minigames have impacted them in a wonderful way! Each minigame, whether in Hogsworth or the deepest halls of Grimlott’s, is well-designed and fun to explore. Every parkour and maze is worth a lengthy visit, and I encourage all players to give them a try. Have fun exploring the new changes!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

A Dive Into Flying Tournaments
Games and Sports
Written by Spaghelle
Edited by Kailen
​

Greetings, my lovely readers! Welcome back to yet another splendid edition of the Daily Diviner, and the first publication of September 2020! As the month opened with exciting new updates that only mark the start of what’s in store for the server, I thought it would be fitting to discuss one of the largest changes in gameplay that Revelius brought to us; tournaments! While both dueling and flying had major reworks after the update, we’re going to be focusing specifically on flying today; talking about what has changed, new maps, and more!

While the mechanisms for flying itself were not severely altered in the new style, the tournaments are drastically different from the ones held pre-Revelius. Before the update, if you found yourself competing in a final tournament that meant that you had already been to that month’s qualifiers, and ranked in the top 3 from your house’s flyers. However, nowadays there’s no need for qualifiers! As long as you have a partner and sign up on the forums, you’re good to go. Personally, I like this new style of tournament; it gives everyone a fair chance to represent their house and participate.

I also quite enjoy another new aspect of post-Revelius matches, which is the usage of more maps! In every tournament, four maps are used as players race with their teammate to win. All of these changes certainly sound exciting, but also seemingly difficult to adjust to if you were an avid flyer pre-Revelius. That’s why I went ahead and spoke with a few players who had just recently competed in the August Flying Tournament! Here with us we have Lizzie, Laurel, Zara, and Samuel to answer some questions about the new system!

Did you participate in any flying tournaments before the Revelius update? If so, how have you adjusted to the change in the system?

Lizzie: I’ve participated in several tournaments in the past! Flying itself hasn’t changed too much, but the tournaments have become a lot more inclusive than they were before. It takes a bit to get used to flying multiple maps during a tourney and trying to find a teammate before the next tournament, but it can get quite enjoyable once you try it out!

Laurel: I actually didn’t do any tournaments pre-Revelius, I was waiting for the upcoming ones!

Zara: Since I am a relatively new player, I actually did not participate in any other flying tournaments before the Revelius update. However, I did participate in a few challenges and I found that the challenges before the update were way easier than the ones after.

Samuel: I tried the qualifiers a couple of times, but I never managed to qualify for the finals. I only really focussed on doing well in tournaments after the Revelius update!

What do you like about the new tournament style? Is there anything about it you’re not so fond of?

Lizzie: I absolutely love the new tournament style! I can now fly with my friends for fun, instead of having to be insanely competitive to participate. With the map rotations, it gives players a chance to come back if they make a mistake during a previous round.

While the tournament-style is much better than the previous, I am not incredibly fond of minigame maps included in tournaments, since they’re available 24/7 in the flying minigame.

Laurel: I like how in the new style, it’s more team oriented. You rely on each other more, and you have to work well as a team in order to do well. However, I don’t like how you really have to be watching for your teammate to cross the finish line, and if you miss them for a few seconds it could set you back.

Zara: I like that the tournaments are very well organized and put together and at the end of the day they are still very fun. I have a strong dislike for some of the maps they use as some of them (especially the Halloween map sob) are so long and confusing that they’re just torture.

Samuel: To begin with I vastly prefer the new system over the old one, I like that you can choose your own team and that houses can have more teams. I also really like the new finals, before Revelius you only had to fly 1 map as a finalist, but now you get to fly 4 maps! I prefer a relay race over everyone in your team flying separate too.

Do you have any tips for players who are new to flying tournaments?

Lizzie: Don’t expect to win on your first try! A huge part of flying as a whole is knowing the map, and first-time flyers have an immediate disadvantage, due to their lack of tournament experience. But don’t worry! Hard work, training, and visiting flying challenges anytime you can help any player improve their flying. With enough practice, anyone can become a skilled flyer!

Laurel: For new people, I would definitely say participate in the challenges. I think they’re a good way to get used to challenging maps and the style of tournaments.

Zara: Honestly, if you want to get into flying tournaments/challenges my biggest tip for you would be to practice practice practice! You really need to practice so that you get used to flying and find tricks and ways that work for you!

Samuel: Don’t give up if you don’t do well, always keep trying!

That wraps up our interview! I certainly think you should take the last question responses to heart if you’re trying to improve your flying skills; practice and challenging yourself are two of the best ways to become skilled! I’d like to thank the lovely people who were brought for the interview for answering my questions, and also you readers for tuning into this article! Even though the changes brought to the tournaments might have been jarring for some, there’s no doubt that this new system is an exciting and challenging one. Have a lovely day, and be sure to tune into the next edition of the Daily Diviner!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Combatting Corona at Hogsworth
Lifestyle
Written by thatgirlskyyy
Edited by CelloIsMyLife
​

Hello students and welcome back to Hogsworth! As you know, classes at Hogsworth resume on September 1st each year. The hallways always become bustling with students walking side by side as they rush to get to their classes. That’s what normally happens at least; this year, things will be done very differently. The outbreak of COVID-19 has spread to the wizarding community and must be dealt with promptly. Hogsworth has put in place special procedures that will hopefully keep the virus under control if it does set foot on campus. It will be a challenge but we assure you that staff have been working diligently and around the clock to make Hogsworth as safe as possible without ruining the fun.

The wizarding community has enlisted the help of all of us at Hogsworth to brainstorm ways to get rid of COVID-19. We need to do whatever we can to stop the spread, but we can't risk exposing ourselves to the unmagicals or the virus. The teachers at Hogsworth are well aware that you may be scared in regards to the virus, but we want you to know that they are doing their best to keep everyone safe and happy. Therefore, it only seems fitting to inform you of the safety procedures that have been put in place for this year.

If you happen across a strange looking object, it might be an air filter: a cleaning product invented by unmagicals. Hogsworth teachers went in disguise and smuggled air filters from the unmagical world, duplicated them, and placed them strategically around Hogsworth. This will help circulate the air and catch possible COVID-19 particles. To help minimize the amount of germs shared, quills and desks will self-clean so neither teachers nor students have to manually clean frequently-touched items. In order to adhere to social distancing guidelines, all ceremonies will now take place outside. For feasts, a bewitched plate will be given and materialize a portion of all the food available. Don’t worry, you are allowed to ask the plate for seconds! Another precaution put in place to help with social distancing is that The Great Hall has been expanded. This means there is more table space, allowing students to eat 6 feet apart. Make sure to social distance everywhere though, not just in The Great Hall. If you break the 6-feet rule, the floor will cast a weak version of Baulectruis on you. Ouch, no one wants that! Lastly, at the end of the day, students must use Leviomora to remove their masks and drop them into a trash can. Teachers will come by shortly after to collect the dirty masks and dispose of them properly. New masks will be given out at the start of each day.

If you are a remote learner, teachers came up with a way for you to participate in class from the comfort of your own home. They created and duplicated enchanted mirrors that have been bewitched to help remote learners seem like they are present in Hogsworth. When a Hogsworth student holds the mirror, they simply need to tell the mirror what class they are in. The mirror will then act like a window, allowing the holder to look through it and see the whole classroom. It's like you never left school in the first place!

The final and perhaps most important change is that schedules have been altered. Every Hogsworth student is required to take Unmagical Studies this year in an attempt to think of ways to help cure COVID-19. The main topic of discussion in Unmagical Studies will be ways to help the unmagical community cure COVID-19 without them knowing, while helping wizards at the same time. In addition to the class being required, Unmagical Studies will now have an Aurorlock sitting in on lectures to supervise the lessons. The Ministry of Magicians have decided they want to hear students’ ideas on how to stop the virus. This is a huge honor, as the Aurorlocks don’t ask just anyone for help.

These changes may seem drastic, but desperate times call for desperate measures. It's important to keep in mind that these changes were put in place for a reason: to keep everyone at Hogsworth safe. We promise that it won't affect your learning too much, and it will take no time at all to adjust. See you at school, and remember to stay safe!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Butterbrew Item Promotions!
Lifestyle
Written by Carolllyn
Edited by MamaDuckie
​

Hello my beautiful readers! I’d like to welcome each and every witch and wizard to another one of my lifestyle articles! We have entered the month of September, the month of absolute fall vibes,… and some of you may know what this means. For those of you who don’t, let me enlighten you: The annual Fall Items! This group of items happen to be one of my personal favorite releases because of the exceptional prizes offered in the seasonal duration. In this article, I’m going to happily promote the items that can be claimed this month. Keep reading to get the inside scoop - via my own opinion! - about these Fall Items!

Butterbrew Festival Hat:

This hat is the classic definition of a celebratory fall article of clothing! It’s a simple, timeless, any-occasion-wearable, piece. Make a subtle statement with this delicate orange and white tailored ribbon while staying true to a witch or wizard’s standard attire!

Butterbrew Tankard Hat:

Nothing truly says butterbrew (a unanimously agreed upon epitome of this season’s beverage) like wearing it on one’s head! Am I right? Yes! One of the ultimate ways to show your butterbrew cheer is to purchase this hat. It’s a perfectly realistic tray with a glass of the Broomsticks Inn’s best drink on the menu. I’m hoping the mug is hollow so I might be able to fill it up with the real stuff once I get my hands on it!

Barrel Hat:

Oh, to wear a barrel of freshly brewed (or brewing) butterbrew (lots of brew) on your back! That’s the kind of situation one might only discover in a dream. But, guess what… now it can be a perfectly feasible one with this hat! Show off this stylish backpack while also quenching the butterbrew thirst of those around you. Win-win!

Housing Scenery:

There’s no season quite like this one. Players love to immerse themselves in the festivities for as long as they go on. In the past, the fall vibe had to come to a pause until the following year. Suddenly, with this housing scenery, it’s possible to extend the cheer for any duration you wish. Long after the season ends, may you surround yourself in your favorite holiday spirit whilst walking the grounds of a housing plot all your own!

If my fall item promotions didn’t persuade you to go out and buy each and every one of these masterpieces, I don’t know what will. And, in fact, I wouldn’t even believe you. I certainly persuaded myself even more! As soon as the Fall Items are available, you bet I’m going to be on the grind until the very moment they are taken away. You should too! Let me know what you thought of this article by sending me a book and quill via the Owlery in-game, messaging me in-game, or even direct-messaging me on Discord. Thank you all so much for reading. This was Carolyn Lestrange, reporting for the Daily Diviner!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

A Story Far Away
Original Works
Written by kvmw
Edited by Kailen
​

“Go away!” Serenity shouted. The slowly rising laugh behind her caused her legs to shake as she forced herself onward through the dark forest. She had been able to evade the hooded figure in black for a week, but he was catching up. He was near now, she knew, and it would only be a few seconds more until—

A door, somewhere far away from Serenity’s consciousness, slammed open. She was thrust from the story in a painful second and found herself back in her dusty little attic bedroom. Somewhere below, there was the sound of shuffling and steps as Serenity hurriedly stood and thrust the book under her patched quilts.

In a few moments, Serenity’s mother appeared at the door. “What were you doing?”

“N-nothing,” she managed to stammer.

Her mother’s dark eyes shifted around the room, finally landing on the messy quilts on Serenity’s bed. “Nothing, have you?” she asked silkily, and marched over and threw the quilts onto the dusty floor.

The book which Serenity had been reading sat plainly in her mother’s view. Her mother gave a disgusted snort and threw the book onto the floor. “Typical. While I have been out, spending my hard-earned money on your Hogsworth supplies, you’ve been reading...this.” She glanced back at her daughter. “Did you even do your chores?”

Serenity flinched. She had forgotten.

Her mother’s thin mouth curved into a twisted smile. “Of course, you didn’t. You haven’t done your chores for the past week. It’s because of this book.” She kicked it, and it flew under the low frame of the bed. “Go,” she demanded. “Maybe by the time you’re done with your chores, the mice will have eaten it up.”

Serenity fled under her mother’s stern gaze.


Serenity stood behind the door, peering out into the darkness. Footsteps were coming closer, and she felt her heartbeat quicken. She knew her worry was needless—Sir Kit was just behind her, ready to deal again with the black hooded figure, but she could not help but worry for his life. Whoever was threatening her life was certainly a formidable opponent, and she liked him too much to—

The compartment door slipped open, and Serenity glanced upwards, annoyed. A scrawny boy stood in the doorframe, his eyes flitting nervously around the compartment, refusing to focus on Serenity. “C-can I sit here?” he asked quietly.

Serenity hated reading around others. But the actual main character of her novel, Irene, would have never turned him down, and she reluctantly said, “Sure.”

His face broke into a relieved grin, and he sat down opposite her. He was trying to see what novel she was reading, and she quickly hid it under the sleeve of her second-hand robes. He noticed her movements and stopped. “It’s okay,” he assured her. “I was just curious. If you don’t want me to know, I wouldn’t ask.”

Feeling her heart soften a little, Serenity removed her sleeve. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m not offended! Don’t worry!”

Serenity looked at him curiously. Weren’t people usually angry when you tried to hide things from them? She turned the book so he could see it better, and she bit back the instinct to hide it when his eyes focused on it.

The boy’s eyes brightened instantly. “Oh, I love that book!”

Her eyes widened. “You...do?”

“Yeah!”” He thrust a hand out. “Hi! My name’s Ashton.”

Something in Serenity’s heart cracked a little, and she smiled. “Hi. I’m Serenity.”


Tears streaming down her face, Serenity fled back into her common room. At the sound of her heavy footsteps, Ashton glanced up in alarm and stood up from his armchair. For several weeks, Serenity had been looking stressed and tired, and he was worried about her mental health. “Serenity?” he asked. “What happened?”

Serenity nervously glanced around the common room, but it was late at night, and no one else was there. Serenity handed him the parchment gripped in her hands.

Ashton unfurled the parchment and was met with a large “T” at the top of her essay. His brows furrowed. “Serenity, you told me you were done with this assignment a week ago. What happened?”

She still wasn’t looking at him, and Ashton carefully took her satchel off her shoulder. He put a hand on the strap, and after she made no movement of protest, he opened her bag and peered inside. There were at least ten crumpled pieces of parchment, and Ashton smoothed them all out. They were all marked with a “T.”

He glanced at her. “Have you been reading instead of doing your homework?” She gave no answer. “How long as has this been going on for, Serenity?”

Her face remained impassive, but he could see her eyes glistening. Sighing, Ashton set down the bag and turned to face her. “I know you love reading, Serenity, and I know that it helps you cope with stress, but it makes no sense if it’s causing you more stress.”

When she didn’t reply, he continued. “It’s okay to get lost in the story a little, but you’ve got to remember that there’s more to the world than the story. You try to forget the real-world Serenity, but it doesn’t work like that. You’re going to have to come back, and it’ll be with more pain than when you left it. Does that make sense?”

They sat in a few moments of silence before Serenity slowly nodded. After giving him a watery smile, she stood up. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed now, but...I’ll try tomorrow.”

He returned her smile. “And then the day after, and the day after, until we get your grades back up. Don’t worry, Serenity. It’ll work out in the end, as the books do.”

“Like the books do,” Serenity murmured to herself as she climbed into bed, ignoring the novel sitting on her bedside table.