DISCLAIMER: Potterworld or Droobledore LLC is not in any way affiliated with Mojang AB, J.K. Rowling, Warner Brothers or any company, copyright or trademark.
PotterworldMC PotterworldMC PotterworldMC

The Daily Diviner - Issue 46

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#1
Official Potterworld Wikipedia
Feature
Written by ohKeira
Edited by LittleI

Hello everyone, and welcome to this edition of the Daily Diviner! In this article, we will be talking about the Potterworld Wiki, the Scribe team, and how you can join the team for yourself! Now, what even is the Potterworld Wiki? Over the past 10 months, the Scribe Interns and Publishers, as well as various other teams, have been working together to make a wikipedia containing every detail on Potterworld.

Without further ado, let's talk about our main subject for today! The Potterworld wikipedia, or wiki, is an online site where you can see many details about Potterworld, such as quests, NPCs, past events, roleplay events, staff departments, and more. Since November, the Scribe team, as well as several other departments, have been working hard to perfect every detail. From the slightest change to the most towering events on the server, these pages are constantly being updated, which guarantees that you can stay in the loop with any new projects released. The Potterworld Wiki is massive, containing over 530 pages. It is unbelievable the amount of effort everyone has put into the Potterworld Wiki! Without the assiduity of the people on the Scribe team, we couldn’t have accomplished something so vast and intricate.

The Scribe team is a group of eight members who research, write, and publish all the information about the Potterworld Wiki! Other departments contribute as well, but the Scribes are the backbone of this project. The pages are constantly being updated with new information every day, from a short paragraph to full sections about the server! If any of this interests you, you can apply here!

In addition to the Scribe team, lots of other teams have put work into this project, such as the Lore team. The Lore team have written key information you will find in the wiki, such as lore on towns! For example, did you know the founding of Eldham Ridge occurred when wizarding refugees were trapped on a mountain during a snowstorm, due to them attempting to escape their poor treatment in the unmagical world? Or, that Antrum was previously the site of a 1920s mine owned by Heartson Trench Inc.? We must also thank the Arithmancer team for their dedicated work on the wiki’s graphic design! They have made sure that it looks perfect for when this project is officially released to the public.

Now that we have covered the Potterworld Wiki itself, here is what I think of the information I have gathered so far: the wiki seems like an amazing place to find lots of fun little details about the server! It is also a place for those who want to know more about Potterworld lore, especially the lore of the custom-made towns. This will benefit the future of Potterworld as a whole. Quest pages on the wiki can assist players who are struggling with quests, and further information on the wiki can help those who aren’t familiar with the Harry Potter universe, such as what each class subject teaches.

This takes us to the end of this article! I want to thank everyone for tuning in for this edition of the Daily Diviner, and hope you have a wonderful day! I would also like to thank the Lead Scribe, Tang (tang#0325), for all the information you read today. This has been Keira, signing off!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#2
WizNetworkers!
Editorial
Written by joyellen
Edited by _xHope

Greetings wonderful readers! Welcome back to the Editorial column for this issue of the Daily Diviner. With WizNetworker applications being open to the public for the first time in Potterworld history, the Daily Diviner thought it would be best to discuss all things WizNetworkers! In this article, I will be exploring what WizNetworkers do, their importance, and how you can even become a WizNetworker. I will also be interviewing Kala, who is the current Lead WizNetworker, to gain some insight on her thoughts of the WizNetworker team and their future plans.

What are WizNetworkers?

WizNetworkers play an exciting, unique, and integral role for the server. They focus on social media, creating and planning posts for a multitude of Potterworld’s social media sites. However, they also have a range of other responsibilities. These include helping to organize giveaways and competitions, and contributing to the WizNewsletter, which is a monthly summary of all the noteworthy events that happened on Potterworld during that month!

The role of WizNetworkers is a significant one. Through posting on Potterworld’s social media platforms, WizNetworkers play a direct role in promoting the server while also engaging with the existing player base. Furthermore, they also increase player engagement through the planning and creation of competitions and giveaways for our amazing community to partake in! The monthly WizNewsletter is also important as it ensures that significant events and achievements on Potterworld do not go unnoticed by others.

How can I become a WizNetworker?

WizNetworker applications are currently open to the public for the first time, meaning that this is the perfect time to apply! However, before applying, you need to make sure that you meet the requirements and understand the responsibilities of the position. These can be looked at on the WizNetworker application, which can be viewed here: WizNetworker Applications.

Interviewing Lead WizNetworker, Kala!

To learn more about the position of WizNetworker and the team, we interviewed Lead WizNetworker Kala about her general thoughts on the team and what the future holds for WizNetworkers!

Why do you think people should apply for Wiznetworker? And what are your thoughts about Wiznetworker applications being open to the public for the first time?
Social media is one of the largest forms of communication today. On the WizNetworker team, we're able to utilize that communication for Potterworld and reach out to those who use social media. Social media is something you probably already use today, so by applying for WizNetworker, you'd be taking the knowledge you already have and using it to contribute to the server. Even if you don't currently use social media, it is incredibly easy to get into and learn about. All in all, I think people should apply for WizNetworker because it uses skills that are easy to learn, or that you might already have! Plus, you get to be a part of planning competitions and giveaways for many players to enjoy.
I'm super excited to be opening applications to the public for the first time, as it gives us the opportunity to get members who might not have been able to apply before! So many people use social media frequently on the server, and I'm excited to see them be a part of our team.

What future plans do you have for the Wiznetworker team? And is there anything for us to look forward to?
In general, I plan on expanding the team and improving the quantity and quality of our social media content. I also hope to improve the way we run our competitions and giveaways to make them as enjoyable as can be! You can look forward to hopefully seeing more social media content in the future, and unique, exciting competitions/giveaways.

What is it like being on the Wiznetworker team? Is it a fast-paced or calm environment?
Being on the WizNetworker is definitely one of the more chill positions on the server. It's a super calm environment! As long as you work consistently, you'll find the position really easy to manage.

How would you describe the Wiznetworker team and the work they do?
The WizNetworker team is amazing, incredible, and I couldn't ask for a better team to work with. The work we do is truly unique. No two posts we make are the same, and the same goes for our competitions and giveaways.
Any final thoughts surrounding Wiznetworkers and/or this interview?
I just wanted to thank you for this interview! The WizNetworker team is truly special and I'm grateful to be leading it.

I would love to give a big thanks to Kala for partaking in this interview! With the conclusion of this interview, the article has unfortunately drawn to an end. Through exploring all things, including what WizNetworkers are and how to become one, it has become clear to us of the significant and unique role WizNetworkers play on Potterworld. I highly encourage anyone who is interested and meets the requirements to apply, as I am certain it would be a fun and rewarding position to be in! Thank you so much for tuning into this edition of the Daily Diviner. This has been Joy, have a lovely day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#3
Experience Rework Update
Editorial
Written by SnowyKitty
Edited by snotflower

Hello, wonderful readers of the Daily Diviner! Today we have an exciting editorial about our recent update. Gameplay Update 1.3.4 was released earlier this month with reworks to the server’s experience system. Academic Credits, quests, mobs, and daily activities now give a more accurate range of experience according to your level. Let’s check out what the development team brought to the table!

Let’s start off with Academic Credits (AC)! AC is normally earned from classes, one of the most popular gameplay features on Potterworld. Before the update, if you were a lower level and went to exchange your AC, you would get insane amounts of experience. This update has reworked the experience lower years receive and has made the experience you gain more balanced throughout all levels.

Personally, I haven’t noticed much. I’m a graduate at level 74, so this part isn’t fully aimed at me as much as it is for lower levels. However, I do believe I’m gaining a little bit more experience than I was before the rework rolled out! It does sound like starting new on the server will make leveling up a bit harder and slower, but the rest of the update has boosted experience gain in other ways!

Without a doubt, anyone can tell how buffed quests have become! Quests now give two to three times the amount of experience they previously did. With quests being another big part of the server, this is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. This part was actually implemented a week or so before the official release of the rework and seems to be going great.

I haven’t unlocked any quests while this update has been live, but I’m super excited to start some! As someone who grinded and completed all quests from year one to six in about a month, I had noticed that there needed to be a boost in experience. Before, quests gave less experience than 10 AC, and it didn’t feel that rewarding. Now, quests are much more worthwhile. I’m sure this part of the update is going to help out with motivation towards quests, and I’m excited to do the graduate quests because of it!

The rework that came to mobs was short and sweet but undoubtedly important. The experience that you get from killing mobs is now 1.25x more than it was before the update. With the struggle of grinding, this will help players get through the tough spots of leveling up.

I have definitely noticed what the update has done to mobs! Graduate mobs are infamous for being a pain to grind, but now I’m excited to be earning more experience from them. The moment I heard about how mobs were changed, I knew I was going to love it. It’s going to benefit a lot of people, and I’m excited for players to have a more enjoyable experience.

The balancing overhaul for this update really came together with the update to daily activities. In the past, the reward you would get from daily activities was a set amount of experience. No matter your level, everyone would get the same amount of experience from each activity, which meant that, for higher levels, there wasn’t much of an incentive to complete them. This rework changes all of that! You can now get experience amounts from small to huge to extra-large allowing you to receive experience appropriate to your level. If you’re a lower level, you won’t be missing out! Minigame activities are now accessible to everyone level 10 and above.

Without a doubt, this makes daily activities a lot more appetizing to me. I’ve never been interested in them in the past since the rewards weren’t as motivating to me as they are now. Now, I’m slowly doing more and more daily activities each day. This part of the rework is also going to boost my enjoyment of playing minigames as well. Overall, I’ve become more interested in new things on the server due to how the activities have changed.

This has been an especially exciting update to the server. Experience and leveling up are key aspects of Potterworld, and this rework is a great improvement to the system. The development team is still keeping an eye out for bugs and making changes when necessary, and so far it is doing great! Thank you to Abstract_Magi and every developer that helped with this update. We can’t wait to see what you do next!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#4
Prince’s Magical Creation
Student Spotlight
Written by okElaine
Edited by mckennq

Hello wonderful readers, and welcome to the Student Spotlight section of the Daily Diviner! Today we’ll be reviewing a very talented member of the Potterworld community, Prin_ce! They have created an astounding version of the Black Dragon Staff, which was released in the August store releases. If you wish to see the rendition of the beloved wand, it can be viewed with this link: 3D Model of Black Dragon Staff! I had the luck to be able to interview Prin_ce regarding their wonderful creation!

What is your name/IGN?
Ign: Prin_ce, nickname: Prince_Varulv.

What is your house?
Serpent.

What are your preferred pronouns?
They/them.

Why were you interested in recreating the Black Dragon Staff?
Basically because I loved it when it first came out. I never really changed my wand appearance before, but when I have seen this staff I knew I needed to have it!

What aspect of the wand did you find most interesting and why?
The whole aesthetic of the wand is really well done, with all the parts of it and its proportions. The color of it - making it dark with subtle shading, green sparkling eyes - reminding me of my house, Serpent. Also the wings above the dragons head are making it look really dynamic in my opinion.

Could you explain the basic process of creating the wand? How long did it take you?
The whole process consisted of a few key parts. First, I made a front and side sketch of the dragon head with wings - reimagined without its “blocky” Minecraft aesthetic. I measured the sketches to make the scale as big as it appears in game.
Second was the hardest part. I had to come up with a process of making the staff first so I wouldn’t run into some unexpected difficulties in the next steps. I needed to think about the possible model’s weight, drying process, lights installation and most importantly - making it easy to rotate while working on shaping it.
Third was creating the inner shape from an aluminum foil and tape which was attached to an old lid - which made it easy to mount it onto any handle.
Fourth was covering this shape with thin layer of paper clay - drying it with a heat gun.
After this I had a solid base. I could add more clay to and shape it to its final form. I had the whole thing attached on old broomstick which I was holding with my feet and rotated the model on it while shaping.
After drying the main part, I cut both of the wings' shapes from the clay, let them dry in my oven, and attached them to the dragon head.
Up to this point the process took around 18 hours, not including the drying part.
I added some clay to form the wings, and when everything was dry enough, I cut the whole piece in half and removed the alluminium foil base part, cut a bit from it to make space for the green diodes and switch with batteries.
Stuck the whole thing back together with more paper clay. I let it dry properly and sanded it with dremmel and with some paper. After that, I covered it in a few layers of glossy black spray paint, mounted on a staff/handle and voilà!

Wow, what a process! When I first heard about it, I was in shock. Clearly, Prin_ce put a ton of hard work and effort into this project that will not go unnoticed. This goes to show that success does not come without hard work!

How many tries did it take you to get it how you wanted it?
As I mentioned earlier, due to the preparation part, it thankfully only took one try to get it right. If I would do it again there are things I’d probably do differently, but that is true with almost all the projects I ever worked on.

Did you hit any roadblocks in the creation process, and if so, how did you move past them?
The only difficulty I had was connecting the wings to the dragon head. Usually, when I do a sculpture this large, or even a smaller one, I create a support system from wires. I have to admit the whole project was a spur of the moment thing, so I didn’t have any wiring at home to use. I also wanted to start sculpting as soon as possible, so I dismissed it and told myself I will worry about that later… and I did. After a few tries I was able to successfully stick the wings to the head, but while cutting it into two halves one of the wings came off, so I had to stick it back again. So the structure of a sculpture is important.

Did you receive any support from members of the Potterworld community along the way?
Yes, I actually did! I posted the first picture - the work in progress into the Art Discord- and people were amazing! They were really supportive, and it helped me in moments I was tired while working on the staff. Also because of their reactions I decided I will put lights inside. I was not sure if it was worth the extra work, but when I saw the comments I wanted to make it the best I can, even if it meant cutting the whole thing in half!
I must say, the Potterworld community is quite amazing that way. It never fails to amaze me how supportive people in this community can be.

Do you plan on recreating any other item models from Potterworld? If so, which ones might you be interested in?
I’m actually playing with an idea for a few days now… I want to make another PW model and this time it’s a big one (very well-known and frequently used), and a bit out of my comfort zone as it would be from a material I am not that familiar with - wood. Also some metal might be included. I already asked some of my friends for help and will begin gathering needed materials soon. It will be a surprise, but might take a lot of time.

How exciting! I know that I can’t wait to see what they have in store. Every piece of art they share is absolutely amazing. Let’s see if they can continue to impress!

Lastly, what advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Never give up! Even if the thing you are working on doesn’t look like you want it to, just keep trying! I learned that sometimes, even if you have an idea visualized in your head, your hands are not skilled enough to make it a reality. It is not a bad thing - it just means you need to practice a lot, so your mind and hands can work together in harmony. And this may take years sometimes, but it’s worth it. Don’t give up, ask for help and enjoy what you are doing because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters!

As an aspiring artist myself, I found Prin_ce’s words very inspirational. Remember that if you work hard enough, and reach for your goals, you too can become an amazing artist! Again, thank you to Prin_ce for their time and allowing me to interview them. It was a pleasure learning more about the creation process of the wonderful rendition of the Black Dragon Staff, and I hope you all enjoyed learning about it as much as I did! This has been okElaine writing for the Daily Diviner, have a magical day!

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
Preparing for Spooky Season
Lifestyle
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by bluecherub

Hello, readers! Welcome back to the Lifestyle column of the Daily Diviner. As we transition into Fall, Halloween is getting closer and closer. That means it's time to start thinking about how you will prepare for Halloween! Will you change your skin? Buy some store items to match a spooky outfit? How about making your own costume at home? If you want some tips and tricks on how to spice things up for this Halloween, then keep reading!

Changing your skin can be a great way to get ready for Halloween! You could try dressing up as your favorite magical creature, or try dressing up as an Unmagical’s idea of a witch or wizard if you prefer a more ironic costume.

For further tips, I asked Bwunie (Master Arithmancer) for more tips and tricks on how to prepare your skin for Halloween. Here's what they had to say:
Using orange is a little tricky for most people. One thing I would recommend above all with the colour orange is to make sure that the lightest colour is the most saturated and the darkest is the least saturated!! I notice a lot of people do it backwards, and it can make orange turn out a little muddy looking, which isn't what anyone wants on a skin they've worked so hard on- I would apply that to the colour yellow as well since cute candy corn themed skins are always a possibility as a skin idea. Another thing is definitely don't be afraid to use bright greens, oranges, yellows, and even reds!! I know most people use more muted colours, but I've seen a few very bright skins, and they look just as amazing!! Halloween skins are definitely the best ones to experiment on since it's almost guaranteed any colour will pair with black.

After you are done making your skin, look through the Potterworld shop to see if any of the store items would go with your new outfit! First, I would look through the pets section. The Monster Book and the pet Dementare would go perfectly with a spooky, scary outfit, or if you want to dress as a fairy, bring along another Fairy companion! Next, look through the hats section. Want to dress like an angel? Purchase the Angel Wings in the store to top off the outfit. Want to be a one-eyed pirate? Try using our Magical Eye hat as an eye-patch! Has it always been your dream to be a princess? Choose from the store's variety of crowns. Even your wand can add onto your costume choice. Imagine being a fairy. You can use the fairy wings, fairy pet, AND a wand appearance together to complete the look.

Looking for ideas for a costume to wear on Halloween? Try saving up some cardboard boxes. You can use a cardboard box to help complete an outfit! Want to be a cat, but don't have cat ears? Cut some triangles out from the cardboard and color them. Then attach them using some tape to a headband. Want to be the Monopoly man? Cut out a cardboard mustache and a circle. Poke a hole in the circle and attach some string to it. Now you have a monocle! You can tape the outer edges of the circle to your clothing and use some tape to put the mustache on your face!

Another use for a large cardboard box is to cut some leg and arm holes in the box. You can turn the box into a robot costume. You can dress up like R2D2 or the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz. You can even use the box to become like the Monster Book or the Lunarcalf from Potterworld’s store! The only limits to costume-making are your imagination.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the various ways you can prepare for Halloween. For further inspiration on what to dress up as or how to redo your skin, check out Potterworld’s store! Have a spook-tastic day! This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#6
Butterbrew Recipe Mania!
Lifestyle
Written by Silquer
Edited by Calliequeen

Hello my lovely readers, and welcome to the second Lifestyle article of this issue! Fall has finally arrived in all of her chilly glory, and it’s time to get ready for all of the seasonally-themed events that come with it. There are two things I think of when someone mentions Fall: Butterbrew and baking. Luckily, we don’t have to choose between these two fall delectables. Simply combine the two, and you have a wide array of Butterbrew-themed bakes! These simple but delicious treats are the best way to get into the mood for Fall and prepare for Halloween. Here are three of my favorite (tried and tested) recipes!

The first of these delectable bakes are Butterbrew cupcakes. To make the cupcake mix, you will need: 1 box of yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, ½ cup oil, 1 cup vanilla creme soda, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 package of dry instant butterscotch pudding mix. For the frosting: 1 stick of butter, 2 tbsp butterscotch sundae sauce, ¼ cup of brown sugar, ½ tsp butter extract, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 cups powdered sugar, and ¼ cup heavy cream.

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to line two muffin pans with paper liners— you can find these at most grocery stores. You’ll need around 18 individual liners. Get a large bowl and combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, vanilla crème soda, brown sugar, and dry pudding mix. Transfer to an electric mixer, and beat the mixture until it is well combined. Fill the muffin pans with the batter, making sure not to overfill the pans. Otherwise, you’ll have Butterbrew muffins! Bake the cupcakes for 15-17 minutes. When you think they’re ready, stick a toothpick into the cupcake to make sure it was cooked all the way through. If the toothpick comes out with no batter, they’re done.

For the frosting, combine the butter, butterscotch sauce, brown sugar, and both the vanilla and butter extracts in a stand mixer. You can also mix it with a silicone spatula, although the mixer is more effective. Do this for about 30 seconds, then add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time. The frosting should be smooth and soft, almost like snow. Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost them, and enjoy!

Overall, the Butterbrew cupcakes are spectacular. They are very sweet, but not overpoweringly so; just the perfect amount of sweetness and sponginess. This treat is best enjoyed with a group of friends, so make sure to bring them to a Fall-themed party!

The next bake on this list is a Butterbrew pie. For the pie, you will need: 2 (14 oz.) pie crusts, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 package of dry butterscotch instant pudding mix, 1 ½ cups cold milk, and ¼ cup caramel. For the whipped cream, you’ll need: 1 cup heavy cream and ½ cups marshmallow crème.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put it aside for later. Take one of the pie crusts and roll it out on a 9-inch pie plate. Poke holes into it with a fork to make sure there is an even bake, otherwise, there could be pockets in the crust. Bake in the oven for about 18 minutes. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the heavy cream for 6 minutes, or until there are peaks in the cream. Let it sit, then fold in the caramel and whipped cream. Pour the mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate for 3 hours.

While you wait for the pie to cool, start the frosting. Beat more heavy cream until it forms peaks, and fold in the marshmallow cream once it has sat for a while. When the pie is done cooling, frost it with the whipped cream. This pie is best enjoyed with family, but make sure to distribute pieces evenly!

The final recipe on this list is Butterbrew cookies! These seem easy, but make sure to stay diligent. For these, you’ll need: 1 cup softened butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 package of dry butterscotch instant pudding, 2 ¾ cups flour, 1 cup butterscotch chips, and 1 cup white chocolate chips.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and put it away for the cookies later. In the stand mixer, combine the butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and both regular and brown sugar. Don’t mix this together just yet! In a separate bowl, whisk the salt, baking soda, and pudding powder together. Combine it with the wet mixture, then add the flour. Add the chocolate chips, then stir well until all of the ingredients are well combined. Cover the bowl in foil or plastic wrap, and let it refrigerate for 15-20 minutes. Place evenly-sized balls of the cookie dough onto the baking sheet, then bake for 7-9 minutes. Once cooled, enjoy these cookies all to yourself!

Well, what did you think of these recipes? I, personally, loved them! What other Butterbrew-flavored delicacies can you think of? Get creative, and make up your own recipes, or find some to make for yourself or friends. Enjoy these recipes!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#7
Stars in Our Eyes
Lifestyle
Written by joyellen
Edited by bluecherub

Welcome back to the Daily Diviner! This is Joy, and in this edition of the Lifestyle column, we’ll be exploring one of my favourite topics: constellations!

Constellations are groups of stars that form a perceived outline or pattern. Such outlines/patterns generally represent the shape of a creature or a mythological figure in astronomy. The origins of constellations date back to prehistory, and there are currently 88 recognized constellations in our night sky. Out of the 88, only 3 constellations will be explored in this article; Orion, Cassiopeia, and Ursa Major. We’ll go over their meanings, but more importantly we’ll learn about their rich history!

Orion, also known as ‘The Hunter’, is a well-known constellation located on the celestial equator. Orion has seven main stars that form the constellation: Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Mintaka, Alnilam, Alnitak, Saiph, and Rigel. The earliest depiction of Orion dates back to prehistory, where it was found as a prehistoric carving in a cave wall in West Germany in 1979. Many cultures have used Orion in their mythology, however the culture most renowned for it are the ancient Greeks.

In ancient Greek mythology, Orion was a hunter who declared that he would kill every animal in the world. However, Gaea, the goddess of the Earth, was furious with his declaration and sent a giant scorpion to kill him. The scorpion succeeded, and Zeus, the king of the gods, turned both Orion and the scorpion into constellations to commemorate them. A fun fact about the constellation Orion is that the pyramids of Giza in Egypt mimic the alignment of the three stars that make up Orion’s belt!

Cassiopeia is located in the Northern sky and is recognizable by its distinctive ‘W’ shape, formed by the constellation’s five main stars. These stars are: Segin, Ruchbah, Gamma Cassiopeiae, Schedar, and Caph. Cassiopeia was first catalogued by Ptolemy in the 2nd century and belongs to the Perseus family of constellations.

The constellation is named after Cassiopeia, a vain queen in Greek mythology. In their stories, Cassiopeia was placed into the night sky in the form of a constellation as punishment for her vanity and for challenging the beauty of the Nereids, sea nymphs who were in the favour of the sea god Poseidon. A fun fact about the Cassiopeia constellation is that it is associated with the Perseid meteor shower, a meteor shower that occurs annually in the months of July and August.

The last constellation that we’ll discuss is Ursa Major! Ursa Major, also known as ‘The Great Bear’, is also located in the Northern sky. It is the third largest constellation and is most well known by its asterism, a smaller group of stars, called the ‘The Big Dipper’. The constellation is notable for being important to many cultures, as it is often used as a symbol of the North.

In Greek mythology, the constellation is based around the myth of Callisto. Callisto was a beautiful young maiden who the god Zeus took a great liking to. Zeus’s wife, Hera, fueled by jealousy, turned Callisto into a bear so she would no longer attract Zeus. Zeus then put Callisto into the night sky in the form of a constellation to protect her from any further damage. A fun fact about Ursa Major is that the constellation is visible all year ‘round in the Northern Hemisphere and can only be viewed sometimes in the Northern parts of the Southern Hemisphere!

This concludes this article about constellations. Constellations are an immensely interesting topic, and I encourage everyone to research them further; you’ll be amazed at the sheer quantity of information available. Thank you so much for reading this edition of the Daily Diviner, have a stellar day!
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#8
Let's Play A Game
Original Works
Written by bea_5OOOO
Edited by kvmw

“Uno!” a child cheered, as they slammed a Draw 4 card down on the table, revealing their now-empty hand. “Take that, Cyrus!”

“Now that you’ve won every card game ever made, Rowan,” Cyrus said, crossing off a bullet at the very bottom of the parchment next to him, “what do you want to do?”

“I dunno,” Rowan whined. “It’s raining so hard, that I can’t even hear myself think, and at this rate, we’ll die of boredom before the weekend even ends,”

“Now, don’t say that. I think I have the perfect game we can play inside.”

“Really?” Rowan’s head perked up.

“Yes, really. We’re going to need a few more people, so why don’t you go find some of your friends, and then meet up with me in the library, in ten, fifteen minutes.” The two friends rushed out of the Honeybadgers common room. Rowan dashed down the hall and up the stairs, making their way to the Grand Staircase, weaving their way through groups of students.

“Where is everyone?” Rowan took a deep breath, “Maybe someone will be in the Great Hall,” They continued running, up the stairs and towards the Great Hall.

“Rowan!” a boy shouted, rushing over, “Why are you so out of breath?”

“Alexander!” Rowan made their way over to the table on the far left, where the boy had been sitting.

“And Holly too,” a girl next to Alexander huffed.

“Hello, Holly,” they said, rolling their eyes, grinning nonetheless. “I didn’t just come to ignore you. In fact, Cyrus invited me to play a game, do you two want to come and play with us?”

“I’m not so sure...with everyone inside right now, is it really a good idea to go running around?” Holly shook her head, frowning.

“Come on, it’ll be fine! I know we’re still pretty small, but we’ll be with Cyrus. I’m sure he’ll help out if we get into dangerous situations with the crowded areas,”

Holly and Alexander shared a look. “Alright, alright, we’ll try it. But, if anything bad happens, it’s all your fault,” Holly said.

“Deal! Let’s go then, Cyrus is probably waiting in the library for us by now.” The three of them stood up, making their way off to the library.

“Hey guys!” Cyrus waved as the three arrived in the library, a few older kids standing behind him. “We’re going to be playing hide and seek.”

The group cheered. “Are there any rules?” Holly asked.

“Not many. Just don’t leave the castle, and when you’re caught, send a flare like this” Cyrus waved his wand, showing off the flare. “Everyone understands?”

Rowan grinned as Cyrus closed his eyes and began to count.

“1… 2… 3…”

Rowan spun around on their heels and broke off into a run, quickly climbing up a nearby staircase and finding their way into the Dueling Hall. “Where can I hide?” they mumbled to themselves, looking over the room. “Aha!” They bolted over to a statue in the corner, positioning themselves behind it.

They held their breath as they waited. By now Cyrus would be out hunting for others, and then they saw it, a flare shot up into the air. Someone had been found already.

They curled themselves up to be as hidden as possible, waiting for something or someone to show up nearby.

And eventually Rowan got their wish, as another flare was shot up right near the entrance of the dueling hall. A moment later, both Cyrus and one of Cyrus’s friends came into view.

Rowan shivered as Cyrus inched closer, looking up and down the seats lining the wall.

Cyrus got dangerously close to the statue, staring at the row of seats next to it. Cyrus gave a shout of surprise, but Rowan was already dashing away as fast as their little legs would carry them..

They dashed down the stairs, making their way over to the library and leaning behind a bookshelf. “Hopefully that bought me some time.”

Yet, the world wasn’t always a reasonable place. Soon, another flare was soon seen near the entrance to the library, with both Alexander and Cyrus appearing nearby.

Rowan shook their head, laying down as they rolled underneath the bar next to the bookshelf. Holding their breath as they waited for Cyrus to hopefully pass right by.

Instead, Rowan turned over to find Cyrus staring directly at them. “Found you!” he cheered. Rowan glared, pulling out their wand and sending up a flare.

“Don’t be so upset. In the end it’s just a game.” Cyrus ruffled Rowan’s hair, before taking off at a run towards the Charms classroom.

Rowan made their way over to the group of students standing nearby. “Were you all-”

“Found you!” Cyrus’ shouting interrupted Rowan, followed by a flare shooting out of his wand.

“Does that mean I've won?” Holly asked, hopping down from her spot in between a few bookshelves.

“Yup, congrats on your win!” a student from the crowd chimed in. “Hey, if you guys play another round, can all of us join in?”

“Of course you all can! Come on, let’s play again!”
 
Last edited:

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#9
The Tell Tale Cat
Original Works
Written by Silquer
Edited by mckennq

Fall was by far Sam's favorite season. There was something about the chill in the air, the way people dressed, and the falling leaves that pushed away all the troubles from his mind and helped him relax and focus on his studies. Don’t get him started on the decorations, either. The pumpkins, the many-coloured leaves, bats and ghouls… he loved everything about it.

So it was rather unusual that on a beautiful fall day, Sam felt something was wrong as soon as he stepped into the Great Hall for breakfast that morning. His friend’s eyes were following him as soon as he came to their end of the table, and no one greeted him when he sat.

Suddenly Jane, who was sitting across from him, spoke. “So, Sam… we saw you looking at a flyer for the Decoration Committee this year-”

“No,” Sam said quickly. “No way. I’m not doing it; you guys know I’m not comfortable in big groups.”

“Of course we know that, but we also know you love fall,” Lily interrupted. “You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

“Really, I’m not-”

Gary joined in from a few seats down. “Just do it, Sam.”

That was it. Sam stood from the table and glared down at his friends. “I’m not doing it. Stop bringing it up, okay?” He stormed out of the Great Hall, leaving behind his sighing friends.

That was when he saw it. A black cat was lying on the steps leading out into the courtyard, staring at him as he passed it on his way into the cool outside air. It’s gaze was intelligent and a tiny bit mischievous. It unsettled him, and he hurried by it. He still felt it’s gaze on his back when he reached the other end of the courtyard. That was the first time he met the black cat.

He went about his morning after that as normally as he could, and that was when the first incident occurred.

He was almost to his first class when all of a sudden, his legs and arms locked in place, and he found himself unable to move.

He heard a student come up from behind him, and they began apologizing profusely. “Oh no, I’m so sorry, that was a complete accident.”

Sam sighed. It was just his luck. “It’s fine. Can you undo this curse so I can get to my class on time?”

“How do I do that?”

Sam groaned.

Twenty minutes (and one visit from a teacher) later, Sam was finally released from the curse. Of course, he was twenty-five minutes late to class, and he had to embarrassingly explain how a first year had cursed him and it had taken twenty minutes to find a teacher to undo it.

His day couldn’t get much worse, could it?

The bell rang, and Sam set out for his next class. He had just stepped into the hall when he saw something black and fuzzy out of the corner of his eye; it was the cat. It was staring at him again with that cheshire grin from atop a railing, and although he had to go past the cat to get to his next class, he turned and went the other way to avoid it.

But just as he made his way down the other hall and under an arch, there was suddenly the telltale sound of a bucket being pushed, and soon enough he was drenched in cold water. He gasped in surprise and looked up. Sure enough, there was a house elf, looking down with a horrified expression and a now-empty bucket in his hands.

“Oh my, I’m so sorry. I believe I doused the wrong student,” he said, looking stunned himself. “See, a student told Charm to wait here for someone…”

But Sam wasn’t listening, and he could barely speak through his shock, only sputtering and shivering as he scrambled for his wand. He cast a small Ignis and began walking again, dripping onto the floor as he glared at the apologetic elf behind him.

By the time he reached his class, he was late and just a little bit damp.

By the third time Sam saw the black cat, he was hungry (having skipped breakfast), cold, and filled with aches from being stuck in the same position for twenty minutes. When he saw the cat in the hallway after leaving class, something clicked.

The cat was causing his bad luck. When had the cat appeared? After breakfast, when he had scoffed at his friends for trying to help him. It was some form of twisted retribution. He knew what he had to do now.

Lunch was starting in the Great Hall, and Sam wasted no time in sprinting through the hallways and down staircases until he arrived, panting, in the hall.

He found his friends at the same table as breakfast, and he stopped in front of them, hands on his knees, before straightening. “I’m sorry I was mad at you guys. I’ll join the Decoration Committee.”

His friends grinned at each other, triumphant.

“You’re going to love it,” Jane said as he sat beside her. Just as he was about to say something, he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye; it was the black cat, turning and strutting away into the castle. He had a feeling Jane was right.
 

The Daily Diviner

New Magician
Staff
#10
How to Begin Dueling with Defenses
Branches of Dueling
Written by Creme_de_Creme
Edited by mckennq

Hello lovely readers, and welcome back to the Daily Diviner’s web-exclusive article! Last issue we covered Transfigurations, and if you haven't read the article yet, I highly recommend you go read it now! If you are new to our “How to Begin Dueling” series, then start with our Charms-specific article in Issue 42. In the last article of our “How to Begin Dueling” series, we will be covering the Defensive spell branch!

What is the Defensive spell branch exactly? The Defensive spell branch includes a variety of healing and evasive spells, along with spells that are able to form shields. These spells include Vulnamedius (lvl. 71), Epifio (lvl. 31), Protello (lvl. 36), Volo (lvl. 69), and many more! There are a variety of healing spells that many duelists switch between depending on what personally works best for them. There are benefits and detriments to using each healing spell, and I will go over a few of them in this article. Let's start with Epifio!

Epifio is very quick to use and also has the lowest cooldown out of all of the healing spells. You can use it to heal another teammate, or shift-click to use it on yourself! The detriment to using Epifio, specifically on yourself, is that it gives you a short slowness effect. This means that if you decide to use this spell, it can make you an easier target for your opponent to hit. One way to get around this is to cast a shield spell before using Epifio!

Feruvio is a mending spell which lasts longer and heals more than Epifio does, while also giving you the ability to move around freely. Sadly, this spell is only available for you to use on yourself, not others. A downside to Feruvio is that when you use the spell, you give off green particles. This means that your opponent knows that you are healing yourself with the Feruvio spell. When your opponent knows that you're healing, their new goal should be to hit you with Stupeficus. If your opponent succeeds in hitting you with Stupeficus, they then completely stop the healing spell.

Vulnamedius is a large AoE healing spell. Since this healing spell is an AoE spell, it is perfect if you want to heal yourself and a friend in large quantities and at the same time. One downside to this spell is that it has longer cooldowns than most healing spells. The particles for this AoE spell are very obvious, so as soon as your opponent sees it their goal should be to use knockback spells to hit you out of it. One way to avoid being hit out of the healing circle is to strafe (move side to side) in order to dodge spells.

Fortifius is another commonly used spell, and is almost like armor. If an opponent hits you while you are using Fortifius, you will take significantly less damage. Though when you use this spell, you are given a glowing effect that highlights your location and your use of the spell to opponents. Thus, you should not use this spell when you are concealing yourself using a spell such as Disappearus. Considering that the glow makes it easier for your opponent to know that you are using this spell, then they can attempt to counter it.

If you recall the “How to Begin Dueling with Curses” article, I introduced and discussed Counterspells. Counterspells are a part of the Defensive spell branch and are used to remove damaging effects such as poison, fire, and more. One such counterspell is Recanto Enchantum, because it removes the armor effect that Fortifius gives you!

Every duelist uses Defensive spells. However, there are people who focus on it more than others. These people are known as healers or hybrids. Healers completely focus on the Defensive spell branch, whereas hybrids split between it and another spell branch. Healers generally play a bigger part in team duels as opposed to 1v1 duels. They can be a huge threat, which is why a team facing an opponent with a healer on their team may want to consider focusing on knocking out the healer first.

If you choose to main in Defenses, you’ll want to keep an eye out for gear with cooldowns. The current, most-recommended gear for Graduate students maining in the Defensive spell branch are as follows:

Head: Hood of The Assassin
Glove: Hand of Gaia
Body: Robe of Retribution
Trinket: Locket of the Cunning
Leggings: Penultimate Greaves
Boots: Boots of Infinite Fortune

For those of you looking for more insight on what it is like to be a Transfiguration duelist, I interviewed Enzologies (Graduate student) and nikobeeko (Graduate student):

Have you been a healer or a hybrid before? If so, which one?
Enzologies: I’ve been a healer/Curse hybrid. I used the Hand of Gaia healing hand and the Ring of Malefic Intent Curse trinket and I split my spell tree points as best as I could between the two so I could heal but also fight when needed. However, I’ve been more focusing on Curse recently because I want to do more damage than support.
nikobeeko: I've tried healer before with little damage in Charms. I'm currently doing Jinx damage.

Why did you choose to be a healer or a hybrid as a duelist?
Enzologies: It started with me being scared to duel and not being aggressive enough. I thought being a backup healer and staying back would be less stressful and I could still be part of the action.
nikobeeko: Got bored one day and decided "Why not?"
What is your favorite Defensive spell and why?
Enzologies: My favorite defensive spell is Protello. I personally spam it 24/7 and it does it’s job. It saves me from attacks and it’s very reliable when used right.
nikobeeko: Protellomo is my favorite defensive spell. It's fun just to watch people headshot themselves.

Do you have a go-to combo?
Enzologies: I try my best with it and I'm still practicing it, but I do Religio Mortus to freeze my opponent, immediately hit them with an Expellimo so they can’t escape, and when helpless, go for the Flamonstrum money maker for big damage.
nikobeeko: A go-to combo I try is Expellimo and Contagios or Accersio to get them away from me.
What is something that you struggled with when learning how to duel?
Enzologies: Something I struggled with a lot is learning what spells do what. There’s so many spells and what you think is a useless spell could be the most beneficial when dueling. Take time to learn spells and try pairing them with combos.
nikobeeko: Something I struggled with was how to heal my teammates while defending myself from others.
Do you have any advice for first-time duelists?
Enzologies: My advice is basically not to give up. Don't be discouraged if you don't do well immediately. Sometimes it's just practicing and having the right knowledge. Educate yourself on combos, spells, and gear and don't be afraid to ask for help because having a friend help you is super beneficial for both of you.
nikobeeko: Try to get the headshots, if not hope for the best.

I would like to thank Enzologies and nikobeeko for their time and insight into dueling with Defensive spells. Now that you know more about the Defensive spell branch, and how to utilize it’s spells, make sure to practice! Check out Potterworld’s Arena Discord to find people to help you practice your dueling skills. This has been Creme_de_Creme reporting for the Daily Diviner, and happy dueling!