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The Daily Diviner - Issue 42

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The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#1
Minigame Revamp
Feature
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by mckennaweasley

Hello readers, and welcome back to the Feature column of the Daily Diviner! As I'm sure we all know, there are so many things you can do here on Potterworld. One of my personal favorite things to do on the server is trying the different minigames around the map! The most difficult, yet the most rewarding minigame has consistently been the Treasure maze (located in the Trophy room), filled with seemingly endless turns. It can be hard to complete, but once you finish, you have full bragging rights and an extra 100 gold in your pocket! It seemed like that was the peak of minigames until recently, when the Game Design Team outdid themselves again. On June 17th, the 1.3.2 gameplay update was released, and included additions to both the Firedust Network and world minigames! There are three new minigames around the map to try: the Grand Staircase Parkour, the Grimlott’s Bank Parkour, and the Flusher Dropper.

The Grand Staircase Parkour is located in Hogsworth, at the bottom of the Grand Staircase located near the Great Hall. Once you click the purple particles, it will teleport you inside the minigame. You begin at the bottom of the Grand Staircase and slowly make your way up to the top by jumping on wooden blocks, fences, and ladders. Luckily, there is one checkpoint in the parkour course, so if you miss a jump you don’t have to start from the beginning! Once you reach the end, you are rewarded with 10 gold. This minigame has a medium difficulty rating, so I would definitely recommend giving it a try!

The Grimlott’s Bank Parkour is located inside Grimlott’s Bank in Diagonal Lane. As soon as you walk into the bank, you will see two long rows of goblins. Walk behind them and turn to your left, where you will find a node that will teleport you into the parkour. As soon as you enter, you will notice how Grimlotts seems to be in ruins, and that the bank is burning down and falling apart. It is your job to climb out of there to safety! Be wary: this feat isn’t easy. There are no checkpoints on this map. You will reach the end by jumping onto gold blocks, ladders, and iron bars. Upon completion, you will be rewarded with 25 gold. The Grimlott’s Bank Parkour also has a medium difficulty rating, and I would certainly give it a try!

The other new minigame is the Flusher Dropper. This minigame is located to the right of King's Cross station in the Gentlemen's toilets in London. To be teleported inside, click on the purple particles. Once inside, you'll notice that one of the toilets has been removed to create an entrance into the dropper. While falling, you have to navigate your way around pipes and platforms into the water below. If you successfully reach the bottom, then you will be rewarded with 3 gold. If you wanna try something new, but don't want to have too much of a challenge, then I suggest you try this dropper, with an easy difficulty rating.

For more information, I talked to JustMaxHell for an inside exclusive on the minigame revamp!

How did the new minigame revamp come about? What sparked it?
JustMaxHell: Since Revelius happened, we have always looked for ways to improve our gameplay and up our standards concerning the content of the server. As an architect, I had noticed some of the elevator minigames (as they were called before the Revelius Update) were really outdated, mostly build-wise. That’s when I decided to revamp them. Some of them I kept fairly similar, others I changed completely. Then I joined the Unspeakable team, and I started learning how to implement them into the world, and I have been working on releasing a few maps every so often. It just takes a bit of time.
What's your favourite minigame and why?
JustMaxHell: I would say my favourite type of minigame to play are the droppers, because they are very fun to do and quite fast to complete for most of them. But when it comes to building, I am known to have built a lot of the mazes that anyone can find around the map, because I love how we can build them like puzzles.
What kinds of minigames can players expect to see more of?
JustMaxHell: We are going to bring back some of the old droppers! We started with the Flusher Dropper a couple of months ago, but yes more are definitely coming back. But as usual, we’ll also have parkours and mazes. There might be some twists for a few of the future maps… You’ll see soon enough!
In what locations will the new minigames be released? In low level or high level areas?
JustMaxHell: For now, locations are mostly Hogsworth and London, because they were the old maps that we had before Revelius, some new maps are coming as well, but are still in those same areas. Although, in the future we will try and add those maps throughout the entire world map. But we’ll need a bit more time, build wise and implementation wise.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
JustMaxHell: I hear an echo… About something new coming in the future regarding world minigames..? I wonder… I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

I am so excited to play these new minigames! Why not make a competition out of it with your friends? See who can complete the new minigames the fastest. On your mark… Get set… Go! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#2
Arena Squire Applications
Editorial
Written by Serpentella
Edited by MakkChi

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! I hope you’re all having a fantabulous day. The Potterworld staff team has recently celebrated Staff Appreciation Day (or week), a series of festivities outside of the usual duties. This is also a time for new staff and team members to bond with and get to know the team! There are many positions that are currently open for applications. However, the newly-opened Arena Squire applications could be the perfect way to join the Potterworld staff team! To get more information about the team, applications, and future goals, I spoke to Sal, Andreu, and Tekno, three Arena team members.

To start, let’s meet the team and check out what the different positions do:

What is your position on the Arena team and what do you do in this role?
Sal: “I'm the lead of the team (Lead Arena Master) and I'm responsible for the management side of the team. I oversee all projects, suggestions, and Arena releases!”
Andreu: “I'm an Arena Master. My job is to give feedback on and write up map ideas and challenge style ideas, host or help in challenges when needed, and work with tech to make sure our challenges/tournaments are hosted as efficiently as possible.”
Tekno: “My current position amongst the Arena team is Arena Squire and our role is to help in Arena Challenges and Tournaments! That's not everything though, there are some aspects the team does behind the scenes that players don't often see, such as developing new dueling arenas and flying courses, create new challenge and tournament ideas, fixing arena related bugs and issues, the list goes on and on but trust me there's a lot of opportunities for you to shine! “

What are your thoughts on the reopening of Arena Squire applications?
Sal: “I am really excited to have more Arena members! We have a lot we can work on and I believe we can progress faster as a team with more people working together :)
Andreu: “We currently have a lot of dedicated and passionate members of the Arena Team. However, I know there are a lot of people who are newer to the PvP community who could possibly be interested in having a say in how we host our challenges/tournaments so I'm really excited that we could be seeing new applicants.”
Tekno: “I am excited to potentially see new faces on the team! I'm excited to see what the new minds of our members come up with and have a laugh with one another as teammates! Our team is somewhat small currently and having some new members join along for our ride would be awesome and I can't wait to welcome them!”

Interested in applying? Sal, Andreu, and Tekno talk about who they feel would be the perfect fit for the role and the future of the team:

Who would you encourage to apply for the position? Why?
Sal: “I would encourage everyone who enjoys challenges & tournaments to apply for Arena Squire. It's a very chill & fun position that is simple and easy to get into! Being good at dueling or flying are not a requirement whatsoever, so I'd encourage anyone who's interested to apply.”
Andreu: “If you have anything that you believe could be improved on in the competitive scene of Potterworld and you've been to a fair amount of our challenges/tournaments, you could make a very valuable addition to the team!”
Tekno: “I would encourage anyone interested in Potterworld PvP, whether that be dueling or flying! You gain a lot of knowledge and impact various decisions that could change how competition amongst players works and you most importantly entertain those who are a part of the PvP community itself! It's a really fun experience and I'm sure you don't want to miss this opportunity!”

What do you hope to see in the future of the Arena team after new members join?
Sal: “I'd hope to see more work going into Arena projects (we have a lot of really cool things planned, trust me :D) as well as smoother challenges & tournaments! With newer faces on the team, I am confident that we'd be able to release projects of higher quality and we'd have more available members to host our challenges.”
Andreu: “I'd love to see a lot more automation in how our tournaments and challenges are run to make sure things go as smoothly and as quickly as possible for the players who attend our challenges/tournaments. This doesn't always come in automation, however, we can work on a lot of our maps to make things less laggy for the playerbase as well (which would be very helpful).”
Tekno: “I hope to see further gameplay development in the future of the Arena team! New members who join could help in the collaboration of ideas and initiative and could truly drive us along the way to further success amongst our team, and the community itself! We'll have to wait and see though, I sense amazing things coming our way.”

As members of the team, these three interviewees have all experienced the application process! As applications are opened, they share some advice for hopeful applicants:

What is some advice you’d give to applicants?
Sal: “Make sure your applications are detailed! You do not need to be a pro duelist to apply, nor do you need to attend tons of challenges to be eligible! You just need to have some experience and a passion for the competitive scene :)
Andreu: “I'd say that future applicants should make sure they understand how we run our challenges/tournaments relatively well (meaning that they've been to a decent amount of them).”
Tekno: “Be yourself! Understandably, you might be nervous to apply, but we are all people just like you so don't be ashamed of who you truly are! If for some reason you don't get selected the first time, don't give up! Apply again if you're still interested and show you learned and grew since your previous attempt. If you ever have any questions about Arena, please feel free to contact anyone on the team as they will gladly help out to the best of their ability!”

Any final comments?
Sal: “Good luck to all applicants, and stay tuned for those who are waiting for new Arena releases!”
Andreu: “Good luck to everybody who chooses to apply!”
Tekno: “Hopefully, Arena seems like an amazing team to join and perhaps you were even convinced to apply, if so I wish you the very best of luck with your application! Hope to see you around soon!”

I’d like to thank Sal, Andreu, and Tenko for participating and sharing their expertise with us! As described by the interviewees, the Arena Squire position is a fun and enriching role on the Potterworld team. If you’re looking to join a hardworking and exciting team like the Arena team, those recently-opened applications are perfect for you! If you are interested, I recommend you check out the application on the Potterworld website. With that, it’s time for me to sign off. Thank you for reading and have a great day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#3
July Store Releases
Editorial
Written by bluecherub
Edited by LittleI

Hello wonderful readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner Editorial column! The month of July has been a busy one, especially with the latest events like Staff Appreciation Day and the Summer Beach Party. Sometimes it seems impossible to keep up with the massive updates on Potterworld! To help you get caught up, I’m here to tell you all about the latest store releases.

Some all-new items came to the store In July’s store release, including the Snorkel Mask, Sunflower Flower Crown, Kelpie Mount, and Summer Emote Package! All of the new models come courtesy of the Artworkers (specifically Droobledore), and the emotes were created by the Store Managers with the help of Zmiya. On top of that, there is currently a 50% sale on all items in the store until July 31st at 12 am PST. That means you would pay 20.00 USD at most and at least $1.00! To access the store, you can either go to the forum and click on the store button in the top right, do /store in-game and click on the link or, if you just want to try the items on, go to the in-game store NPC.

The new items released this month are some of PotterworldMC’s best works to date! For example, the Sunflower Crown is the most realistic of the flower crowns made yet. Then there’s the Snorkel Mask which is yet another fantastic (and already popular) addition to the store with its summer appeal. The emote pack is tremendously adorable, including emotes that will make your friends as excited as you are to go swimming, make lemonade, or build sandcastles if that’s more your speed. Then there’s my personal favorite: the Kelpie Mount. The Kelpie Mount is the fifth creature-based broom model to be made- and the fifth in a row to be released! These sorts of mounts are incredibly popular and are some of the fastest-selling items thanks to how undeniably cute they are- who wouldn’t want to ride their tamed Kelpie to school? I’ve already bought several of these items myself, and I encourage you to do the same so you can show off your summer swag!

Already, Potterworld has come out with several new, gorgeous sceneries, emote packages, wand appearances, hats, and tons of other cosmetics this year alone. There can be no doubt that the Store Managers and Art Workers are working their tails off to make more quality content for all players alike. We can expect even more fantastic work from the Potterworld team in the remainder of the year!

Thank you so much for reading my review of the latest store releases. Be sure to keep an eye out for new models and additions to the store and an even closer eye on the sales that will help you to snatch them off the store with ease! Until next time, this has been bluecherub reporting for the Daily Diviner. Have a magical day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#4
Kmaxi’s History of Potterworld Video
Student Spotlight
Written by Honeyreu
Edited by MakkChi

Hello Readers! Welcome back to the Student Spotlight column. Today we will be looking at a content creator named Kmaxi. In January of 2021, Kmaxi made a YouTube video on the history of Potterworld, which quickly blew up on YouTube with almost 6,000 views and 250+ likes. I was lucky enough to get an interview with Kmaxi so you can hear about all the behind-the-scenes work that went into this video!

Kmaxi is a proud Griffin, as well as Phoenix and Graduate. He has been on Potterworld for a large amount of time, joining in May of 2015. To start the interview, we have a few questions about Kmaxi’s experience on Potterworld.

Why did you join Potterworld, and why did you stay?
“I was looking around for some Harry Potter Minecraft server because I love Minecraft and am a big fan of Harry Potter, and then I stumbled across PotterworldMC and played a lot until I graduated. Since then I just log on every now and then to check what changes.”
What is your favorite quest or event on the server?
“I don't remember what the quest was called but I loved the one where you had to find the husband of a woman in a factory that was being run by a dark wizard. That quest was so well written, so sad yet so good!! It almost made a tear come out, and for that it truly has to be something great coming from me.”
Ever since he started, Kmaxi has taken the community by storm with his unique content. Spending 50+ hours on this project, he developed this idea in late July of 2020. His amazing content and detail, as well as a fun take on explaining the history of the server, has impressed many in the community. I came up with a few more questions for Kmaxi about some details behind the video so that you can get more of an inside look on the project!
What do you think keeps your viewers hooked on your videos?
“I think that in the beginning of the video, having a rhetorical question that if people want the answer to, they will have to watch the entire video.”
What strategies did you use to make your videos appeal to people?
“To make the video appealing and pleasant to watch I added nice cinematic shots when I didn't know what to add on the screen and some nice magical music in the background that supports the flow of the people. I also made sure to try to talk clearly, and whenever I can have something on the screen that supports what I am saying to make it easy to understand for everyone, since voice together with pictures and/or text makes it much easier to understand what is actually being said.”
How does the turnout of the video make you feel?
“I am satisfied with how the video turned out. It has a great flow in my opinion and takes up basically all major events that explain why Potterworld looks as it does today.”
Will you continue making Potterworld content?
“If I come up with another cool video idea for Potterworld then I will make a video about it but we will see.”

After these final questions, the interview with Kmaxi came to an end. Kmaxi did an incredible job working on this video and gathering information on the history of Potterworld. I hope you enjoyed seeing the behind-the-scenes look of this video and that you will watch it for yourself! I would like to thank Kmaxi for the time that he put into this interview and the video.

Thank you for checking out this edition of the Student Spotlight column. This is Keira, singing off for the Daily Diviner. Have a wonderful day, and stay safe!

Do you know anyone on the server that stands out (cool housing, a museum, active in RP, do something cool outside of PW, etc.)? Nominate them here for a chance to be our next Student Spotlight!

 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#5
Magical Camping Treats
Lifestyle
Written by plsGwen
Edited by snotflower

There are many locations in the magical world you can visit without needing to pay an inn-fee. Camping allows you to become one with nature and experience these places firsthand. Perhaps you’d like to camp in the mountains near Eldham Ridge or in the forest beyond the Groundskeeper's hut. While you decide on the places you’ll camp, continue reading to learn some treat recipes you can bring on your next camping adventure!

S'mores are a classic camping treat, but have you ever had a s’more prepared by a witch?
What you will need: graham crackers, chocolate frogs, marshmallows, heat from a campfire, and branches.​
  1. Prepare a campfire first. (If you are younger, have an adult wizard prepare the fire.)
  2. Find thin branches from nearby trees and stick them into the marshmallows. Use the branch to hold the marshmallow over the campfire without burning yourself.
  3. When the marshmallow is gooey, place it on a graham cracker.
  4. Open a chocolate frog box. After catching the chocolate frog, place it on top of the marshmallow and close the s’more with another graham cracker.

Everyone loves a cold glass of Butterbrew, but they’re hard to pack for a camping trip. Don’t panic yet, you can turn Butterbrew into Butterbrew-flavored fudge!
What you will need: butter, marshmallow creme, sweetened condensed milk, white sugar, caramel ice cream syrup, butterscotch chips, and white chocolate chips.​
(If you are young, have an adult help you.)​
  1. Heat butter, creme, condensed milk, sugar, and caramel syrup over a stove while stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins to boil, set a timer for four minutes, continuing to stir.
  2. Add butterscotch chips to the mixture whilst stirring. Once the mixture is smooth, turn the heat off and mix for another 2 minutes.
  3. Pour the mixture into a dish and place it in the freezer to cool.
  4. Heat butter, creme, condensed milk, and sugar over a stove while stirring constantly. Once the mixture begins to boil, set a timer for two minutes, continuing to stir.
  5. Remove the mixture from the heat and mix in the white chocolate chips until smooth.
  6. Remove the butterscotch dish from the freezer and pour the white chocolate mixture over the butterscotch layer. Then place the dish back into the freezer.
  7. Allow to freeze for three hours before cutting the fudge into cubes.

Trail mix is an essential camping treat, but ordinary trail mix can be quite boring. Spice up your trail mix with candy from the magical world.
What you will need: bags to hold the trail mix, Bellie’s Multi-Flavoured Jellies, sugar quills, Flying Fizzles, nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc.), and dried fruit (cherries, raisins, cranberries etc).​
  1. Prepare your candy, nuts, and dried fruit by removing it from their packaging.
  2. Throw the candy, nuts, and dried fruit into a bag and close the bag.
  3. Shake the bag to mix everything and voila! Magical trail mix!

You’ll need something besides sweets on your camping trip. Not to worry, the Groundskeeper has provided the recipe for his famous meat pies!
What you will need: meat (sausage, ground beef, etc.), mashed potatoes, pie dough, an egg, onion, and celery.​
(If you are young, have an adult help you.)​
  1. Prepare the mashed potatoes and pie dough beforehand.
  2. Chop the celery stalk and onion and place them to the side.
  3. In a pan over the stove, cook the meat with the onion and celery. Mix in the mashed potatoes, then take the mixture off the stove.
  4. Roll out the pie dough and place it into a pie dish. Fill the dish with the meat and potato filling.
  5. Roll out more pie dough overtop the filling. Cut small slits into the top and brush over the dough with a beaten egg.
  6. Place the pie into the oven and bake at 350° Fahrenheit or 180° Celsius, until golden brown. (Typically fifteen minutes.)

Whether you’re preparing these at home to try or packing them for a camping trip, your tastebuds will be bursting with joyous flavour! Thank you for reading the latest issue of the Daily Diviner! A wise witch once said “The s’more the merrier,” so be sure to invite your pals around to taste these treats!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#6
School Pride, House Supplies
Lifestyle
Written by mckennaweasley
Edited by Hoppine

Hello readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner Lifestyle column! With the new 2021-22 school year rapidly approaching us, there is a mad rush to buy school supplies before they all run out. Now, we can all agree that the standard school supplies, such as notebooks, pencil bags, backpacks, and more are great and all, but what if you could give them just an extra touch of creativity?

There are many tutorials available online that help with taking your bland school supplies and turning them into something not only still practical, but magically decorated! In this article, I will share two of my favourite do-it-yourself projects, and walk you through how to make your very own matching house pride notebooks and bookmarks! Both of these crafts are easy to make, and only require a few resources, and, in the end, I'm sure you will get many compliments on your radical homemade school supplies! With that being said, let’s hop right in.

Taking school notes has never been fun for anyone, especially me, however creating interesting covers for your writing journals could make it just that bit more exciting. For the first craft, you can take a standard notebook and transform it into a memoir based around your Hogsworth house! To start off, I suggest that you search online for house-themed notebook covers and choose the one you like the best! Once you have picked one, have it printed, and then cut out the individual pieces on the paper for the spine, and both sides of the covers. Then, glue the individual pieces onto the notebook, using Mod Podge, a glue stick, or anything equivalent. For the final step, once the pieces are glued to the places they are supposed to be in, press down on each individual piece, whilst making sure it’s on and there are no bumps on the paper. Upon completion of all the steps above, you can start writing in your new revamped notebook!

Reading is a massive part of any normal school curriculum, and I am sure that each and everyone, student or not, will be reading at least more than one book this year, which makes a bookmark a great addition to have! House-themed bookmarks help show off your house pride all year long, regardless that you are still in school or on summer holidays. To design one of them, first grab a small slip of blank white paper, and cut it to around 2x6 inches, however, keep in mind that sizes could vary depending on your preference, but the standard bookmark size is 2x6” or 2x7”. For the next step, grab some coloured markers depending on what house you are in. In case you forgot what the house colours are, they are as follows: Ravens are blue and bronze, Honeybadgers are yellow and black, Griffins are maroon and gold, and Serpents are green and silver. Then, once you have your colours ready, doodle any designs that you would like on the paper, for example, your House crest, animal, or even your name! Once you have finished the overall design, use a laminator to seal your project. Once all the steps above have been completed, you could start using your new bookmark the next time you read!

In this article, we have covered the process of creating two crafts that aid in both making your school supplies cooler and more enjoyable to use. I hope you all have fun giving your school supplies a much-needed revamping, and making them more unique! This has been McKenna reporting for the Daily Diviner, have a magical day!

DD Article Graphic.png
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#7
Ask For the Moon
Original Works
Written by kvmw
Edited by bluecherub

A girl in a worn denim jacket ambled down the garden path, and I left my perch by the window. Ignoring my mom’s call of, “Don’t run, Cassandra, it’s unladylike!” I flew out and shoved the girl behind a hedge.

“Geri!” I panted, as her amber eyes sparked with amusement. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Neither did I,” Geri admitted, peering up at my family’s manor. “We should leave quickly. I jumped the fence, but I think the gardener heard me.”

Giggling, we escaped the grounds into the nearby woods. It was a warm summer's day, and the walk was pleasant. Geri looked paler than usual, and after an hour, I forced her to sit down.

“Sorry,” she said. “I’ve been a little tired lately.”

“It’s alright, but if you haven’t been feeling well, you shouldn’t have come.”

Geri laughed. “Do you not want to see me?”

“I would see you more, if I could help it.”

She smiled wanly. “Sorry.”

I studied my hands. “I still don’t get why you won’t let me introduce you to my parents.”

Geri sighed. “They wouldn’t like me.”

“You say that every time!”

“Am I wrong?” She wasn’t, but I was unwilling to admit it. It was frustrating, having Pureblood parents who would disapprove of their daughter having a 1) Unmagical-born 2) girlfriend.

The silence that followed seemed infinite. At last, Geri stood up and disappeared through the trees. I returned home in miserable silence.

. . .

I lay awake, unable to drift off to sleep. Every time I tried, snippets of past arguments and doubts would intrude. Whether it was worth all the trouble.

Of course it is, I thought. She’s the best person you’ve ever met. Suddenly energized, I leapt from the bed and snuck down the stairs. Within minutes, I was soaring towards Geri’s house. I slowed down when I saw movement below; though I doubted it was an Unmagical, better safe than sorry. I hovered for a few seconds, waiting for the figure to pass.

As it stepped out into a patch of moonlit forest, I let out a quiet gasp. I carefully lowered my broom, trying not to alert the creature of my presence, but the wolf sniffed the air and peered up at the sky.

The problem with seeing a wolf was that wolves were extinct in England, which could only mean—a werewolf?

I ran through the distinguishing traits of a werewolf: shorter snout, tufted tail, and amber, human-like eyes that were strangely familiar. All checked off. As the werewolf and I stared at each other, a dreadful thought began to form. Panic rose within me, along with anger and confusion. Without thinking, I spun my broom around and fled home.

. . .

I sat listlessly at my bedroom’s window seat, staring out onto the grounds. Part of me sympathized—werewolves were treated awfully by wizards. Yet, I wondered whether Geri didn’t trust me—thought I would treat her differently if I knew. Would I? I pondered. Did having these thoughts prove her right?

As if summoned, Geri’s face peeked out from behind a hedge. I stayed seated at the windowsill. Not that it mattered, because a minute later, she was perched on the other side of the window, mouthing, “Let me in?”

I couldn’t leave Geri just hanging there, so I opened the window. She swung through and seated herself on the floor. “I saw you last night.”

“Did you?”

“Please don’t be angry,” Geri said, peering up at me. I was forcefully reminded of the wolf with those same amber eyes. “It’s just… I’ve been a werewolf my whole life. The family that lived here before you—they found out, and moved soon after. Their son was my friend. I didn’t want to lose you, too.”

I sighed. “I’m not angry. I just wish you told me earlier. I wouldn’t have let my parents keep us apart.”

The hollow look in Geri’s eyes was like a knife to the heart. “Then by all means, tell them...”

“Look, we don’t have to tell them immediately. We could…talk it over.”

“What else is there to discuss?”

“Shh!” I hissed. There—a creak of a step. “I think I heard something.”

Geri cast me a frightened look and was half-way through the window when my mom entered. “Cassandra? I heard—is someone climbing through the window?” Her wand was in her hand, and a moment later Geri was hanging from the ceiling. “Who are you?” my mom snapped, wand pointed at Geri’s heart.

“Mom!” I shrieked. “Let her down, and I’ll explain.”

Grudgingly, my mom let her down. She didn’t loosen the grip on her wand, though.

“Mom, this is Geri—she’s...my girlfriend.”

Geri stared at me with disbelief. I plowed on, unwilling to lose my momentary courage. “I love her, so please hear me out and don’t ruin this for me.” My mom looked like she was about to faint. “She’s a witch—in Honeybadger—and her parents are Unmagicals who live just across the forest. Also, she’s...a werewolf.”

My mom swayed before landing with a soft thud on the carpeted floor.

Geri and I stared at each other. “That’s one way to do it.”

“Should I get my dad?” I asked, watching my mom anxiously.

She ran a hand through her hair. “Better get this over with, I suppose.”

“Dad! Could you come upstairs?” As his footsteps drew nearer, I turned back to Geri. “We’ll be okay. I promise.” And I believed it.

Everything would be okay.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#8
A Day in the Life
Original Works
Written by bluecherub
Edited by kvmw

“So, what’s it like to be an Unmagical-born here?” Ava asked, turning to Olivia.

They had only just settled down into their dorm after Unmagical Studies, and once more, Ava had brought up her favorite subject: Olivia’s life as an Unmagical-born witch.

“Merlin’s sake, Ava, if you ask another Unmagical-related question-” Jade interjected.

“It’s alright,” Olivia smiled. “It’s not so bad. It was a little overwhelming at first, but you guys have helped a lot.”

She paused for more questions, (which usually came from Ava), and once they had run out, she suggested: “I was thinking: if you all wanted, you could come with me to visit my aunt and uncle in a few months. Could be fun!”

Ava immediately began rambling about what she would bring on the trip, while Jade rolled her eyes, and Olivia laughed.

. . .

The girls pushed through the crowd, trying to leave the train station. Jade fidgeted with her Unmagical clothes, borrowed from Olivia so as to not stand out, and Ava practically vibrated with anticipation. “So, what are we going to do first?” Ava bounced up and down. “We could go out to a theatre, or ride horses, maybe hit up a casino-”

“Even better: we’ll be having dinner with my relatives! Before we get on, I need to warn you both that neither of them knows about magic. They think Hogsworth is just a normal boarding school, so please don’t mention or do any magic in front of them.”

The other two nodded, as they finally exited the station.

Mr. and Mrs. Sy were standing outside, ready to greet them each with a bear hug and chocolate bar. As they climbed into the car, Mrs. Sy said, “It’s nice to meet you all! Olivia didn’t let us wait in the station-must be too embarrassed to be seen with us!”

“Oh, that’s just awful! My family always runs through the wall to walk me to the train-” Ava was cut off by an elbow to the side, courtesy of Olivia.

“These kids and their lingo. I can’t keep up!” Mr. Sy laughed as he turned into their driveway.

While the girls climbed out, Mrs. Sy warned them that dinner would be in an hour, so they ought to unpack upstairs.

Ava burst into Olivia’s room, scanning the room hungrily for items of interest. Olivia followed, dragging in their suitcases, and Jade hovered by the door.

Immediately, Ava beelined for Olivia’s Two Directions posters, which covered an entire wall.

“How come your pictures don’t move?” Ava poked at the posters.

“Our pictures work differently from yours- they’re not enchanted.”

Jade gravitated instead towards the desk. “What’s this shiny metal box? It doesn’t look like it holds much.”

Olivia maneuvered around her to turn on her laptop. “It’s not a box. It’s an electronic device called a computer, and you can do almost anything on it. See? Here’s a video of Two Directions on their last tour.”

Jade nodded, but backed away while Ava went on about how cute the boys in the video were, and how it was a pity they weren’t Magical.

. . .

“Girls! Dinner!”

The girls thundered down the steps and sat down, the smell of calico soup wafting through the air.

“So, what’s your favorite class, Ava?” Mrs. Sy asked, leaning forward to ladle soup into her bowl. “Olivia never talks about her classes beyond how well she’s doing.”

“I love Potions class! Learning what each ingredient does and how that changes based on how you combine them-”

A pinch to her side cut Ava off.

“Don’t mind her-she uses silly names for our classes to make them more fun-she means Chemistry!” Olivia interrupted.

Her uncle raised an eyebrow, but shook it off to ask the same question to Jade.

“I prefer to work with creatures.”

“In Biology class!” Olivia quickly added.

“It’s calming, and you can form special bonds with some of them.”

For the rest of the meal, Mr. Sy talked to Jade about her experiences in ‘Biology,’ while Mrs. Sy prodded Olivia for more details on her school-life, which Ava happily provided.

Once they finished, Mrs. Sy stood up to collect the dishes, but Ava stopped her. “Oh, no worries, Mrs. Sy! I’ll have it finished in a jiffy.”

Olivia looked at her suspiciously, then mouthed “talk to them” to Jade. She glared back, but led the Sys into the next room anyways.

Olivia turned back around only to find Ava with a wand in hand, trying to get the dishes to float towards the sink. By the time they had returned, Jade was giggling as Mr. Sy animatedly told her a story of Olivia at her first Two Directions concert.

They stayed up late into the night, discussing everything from the quality of food at school to the annoying neighbors down the street, with a few embarrassing tid bits on Olivia’s childhood thrown in for good measure.

. . .

As they pulled up to the train station, the girls said their goodbyes. Ava dragged Mrs. Sy into a bear hug, and thanked her for her hospitality. Jade shook hands with Mr. Sy with a small smile, and her aunt and uncle both made Olivia promise to bring her friends again.

As they clambered into their booth, Ava turned to Olivia. “So…when are we coming back?”

Olivia only groaned in response, dropping her head into her hands while Jade cackled.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#9
How to Begin Dueling with Charms
Branches of Dueling
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by mckennaweasley

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner! Learning how to duel can be difficult and intimidating, because there are so many aspects to the sport, such as spell branches, points, and gear. That's why the Daily Diviner team would like to walk you through each and every spell branch and explain the distinct basics of each. In this web-exclusive issue, we will be covering Charms!

First, what exactly are Charms? Charms are the first spell branch located on the spell tree. They often include the basic spells that every witch and wizard should know. There are utility charms spells such as Lumen (Lvl. 6), Divindo (Lvl. 25), and Leviomora (Lvl. 4). Utility spells help you view and access places around the world. You are not able to upgrade utility spells using spell points, as they are instead used for offensive spells. There are a variety of charm dueling spells available to players including Baulectrium (Lvl. 44), Disappearus (Lvl. 60), and Immobilio (Lvl. 14). Some of the most common attack spells include Stupeficus (Lvl. 33), Aquatimentum (Lvl. 7), and Expellimo (Lvl. 21).

Many duelists, including those who opt for a different spell branch, use a couple of Charms spells. Stupeficus is one spell that is frequently used in dueling because of its stunning effect. When a duelist hits their target with this spell, the target is unable to fire back for a few seconds, allowing the duelist to fire at their target with 1-2 more spells before they regain their wand capabilities. This becomes especially useful when the target is mid-cast, because it halts the spell completely, and when you don’t want to take damage. It can also be used if you want to stop your target from healing themselves. Stupeficus also deals a significant amount of damage for a Charm user.

Another spell that is commonly used in dueling is Expellimo. This is similar in use to Stupeficus, however, Expellimo doesn’t deal any damage. It instead removes the target’s wand from their hotbar and replaces it with another item in their inventory for a few seconds. This comes in handy when you want to prevent your opponent from casting. Lastly, I would like to talk about Aquatimentum. Aquatimentum is useful because it temporarily slows a player down and pushes them backwards or into the air (while also dealing damage). The optimal time to use this spell is if your opponent is close to you or is charging at you. The closer you are to a player, the easier it is for them to hit you and vise-versa. To slow them down and push them away from you, Aquatimentum is a great spell to use!

When you look at the spell tree, you will notice that there are spell points. Spell points allow you to upgrade a spell. Each point you put into a spell raises the damage it deals on others while reducing the time it takes for the spell to reset in your hotbar. However, be wary of the amount of spell points you have! Keep track by writing on a piece of paper how many spell points you want to use for each spell. Luckily, if you make a mistake or decide to go for a different spell branch, it only costs 100 gold to reset your spell points!

The amount of damage you can take and deal is limited by the gear you have. You can use the command /gear in game and check “Power” to understand how much damage you deal under the different spell branches. On the other hand, “Defense” shows you how well you can take damage from each spell type (Hint: the higher the number, the less damage you take). You are always welcome to test and try different gear and figure out what works best for you. The current, most-recommended Graduate level gear for Charms is as follows:

Head: Ornament of the Queen
Glove: Conjurer’s Glove
Body: Cloak of Fantasia
Trinket: Ring of Gallantry
Leggings: Penultimate Greaves
Boots: Boots of Infinite Fortune

Not every duelist will choose to use the same gear piece. Some may use an alternative piece because it has a better cooldown, greater range, or because it was cheaper to buy at the marketplace. The choice is up to you!

For more insight on what it is like to be a Charms duelist, I interviewed IDestor (Arena Master), Clem_Zoldyck (Inquisitor and Lore Keeper), and BeingClickable (Graduate student).

Why did you choose to use Charms as a duelist?
IDestor: I decided to go Charms because I wanted to play something outside of the meta (Jinx) and it was a way cheaper option compared to how much gold it takes to get the meta Jinx set.
Clem_Zoldyck: I had previously been a jinx duelist, but I wanted to strive away from the mainstream and try something new. My friend had been successful with Charms, so I decided to give it a shot.
BeingClickable: I chose Charms because of the spells in the Charm tree which I mostly use and specialize in. Also I think Charms spells are easier to hit a headshot with compared to Cascamorus, which is a Jinx spell. You can start a lot of combos with Charm spells.

What is your favorite Charms spell and why?
IDestor: That one is kinda difficult but I would have to say Aquatimentum because it makes me feel like a water bender when using it and it can lead to some pretty cool combos.
Clem_Zoldyck: For me, Aquatimentum. It's super easy to aim, and had a low cooldown. If you use it right, you can hit them with another spell while they're still in the air.
BeingClickable: Expellimo, because it disrupts the opposing side resulting in a loss of momentum and gives me the edge of the duel.

Do you have a go-to/favorite Charms combo?
IDestor: I was really bad at Charms combos actually. My favorite would just be Aquatimentum then Stupeficus. It is an easy combo and still does great damage.
Clem_Zoldyck: Personally, I love using Aquatimentum followed by Stupeficus. I can get good damage off that way, and the Stupeficus prevents my target from using their wand for a period of time.
BeingClickable: Basically after I disarmed my opponent I hit them with all I got. My go to is Expellimo, Stupeficus, Cascamorus, and Ignatium all one right after the other.


Do you have any advice for any first-time duelists?
IDestor: Even if you lose to a duelist, maybe in 1 second or a long battle, don't be too upset or lose confidence and work to beat them next time.
Clem_Zoldyck: At first it might seem difficult or even impossible, but you have to keep practicing! There are some very good duelists out there, and they didn't become skilled from nothing. Charms is a versatile main, and I would highly recommend it.
BeingClickable: Learn the fundamentals of dueling, learn/tryout every spell and see what spells you are comfortable using.

I would like to thank IDestor, Clem_Zoldyck, and BeingClickable for their time and sharing their experiences as Charms duelists. Feel free to experiment with different branches, spells, and combos. As your professors may say, it's always good to practice your charm skills, you never know when it’ll come in handy! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 
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