The Daily Diviner - Special Edition: Savanna Solstice

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Touring the Occult at École du Monde Occulte​
History of École du Monde Occulte​
Fashion or Function: A Clothing Guide​
Things to Do to Stay Cool​
Preparing the School​
'Twas the Night of the Solstice​

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Hello there! You are a Hogsworth student, right? I could tell from your robes! I am a student here at the glorious École du Monde Occulte, tasked to show visitors around. Our school is hidden in the caves; you may get lost easily. It is quite big, but do not fear! With me as your guide, you will be exploring on your own in no time.

Let’s get out of the sun first, shall we? Just inside here is our entrance hall. You can see the rich history of our architecture displayed in this hall, and the paintings on the walls tell different stories. I was amazed when I first saw them, just as you are now. The sculptures stand proud, each representing one of the four houses at our school. As you can see, we have already begun to decorate for the winter season. You will see plenty more festive carpets, decorations, and garlands as you explore our school!

At the end of the hall is the main cavern of our school. It spans several levels of hallways and smaller caves. Looking over the railing, you can see the great tree in the center and the bridges up above. Try not to be overwhelmed! I will show you everything in due time. First, let’s look at the information and shop booths. The first stand you see is our helpful information resources. You can talk to them if you have any questions about your time here. Down this incline to the left are the collectibles we are selling for the Winter Waltz this year! I love seeing all the items celebrating our school; you should look at all the exclusives later.

Follow me past the classroom and dormitory halls for now. Over here, at the very bottom of the cave, is our equivalent to your Great Hall. Our Headmaster and head teachers sit here, at the head of the tables. Each of the tables for students is colored for the houses, but feel free to sit anywhere you like. There is plenty of room!

The kitchens are just past here. By the time dinner rolls around, the aroma here is captivating. I love watching the cooks make delicious food here all day. Just walk right up if you want to try a taste of the food we have here each day.

Well then, I think you are ready to see the rest of our school. See that bridge way up there, in between the lowest and highest bridge? You will be able to see most of the school from there. Watch your step as we climb. The view here is unmatched; I bet you don’t have anything like this at Hogsworth! Over there, to the left along this bridge, is the library, my personal favorite hideaway. Our library spans multiple levels and is filled with countless tomes of knowledge and plenty of places to study.

To the right of this bridge is the South Wing. This wing, along with the North, East, and West wings, is full of classrooms. There is so much to explore. In my first year, I often got lost trying to find the right classroom, but eventually, you learn your way around. There are other notable hallways, like the Museum; you will have to discover those yourself!

Now that you have a general idea of the layout of our school, you may be wondering where to go for your first adventure (and where to be sorted)! Thankfully, I know just the person to go see. If you haven’t already, speak to Headmaster Lare at the school’s entrance to officially begin your time here at École du Monde Occulte.

Thank you for being such a wonderful listener. If you will excuse me, I must go to the library to study for my exams; however, I hope I’ll see you around sometime soon. Please enjoy your time here!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Greetings, Witches and Wizards of Potterworld! As you can see, we have reached the time of year when our Hogsworth ventures out to visit another school of magic. Knowing the history of the places you are visiting is very important, so I will be taking you through the history of the lovely École du Monde Occulte, which translates to School of the Occult World.

École du Monde Occulte was founded in the mid-1700s; however, oddly enough, no one actually knows who founded it. Historians believe that the person who founded the school has the initials K.M. due to the large number of uncovered documents that were sealed with these initials, but this is not known for sure. In wizarding schools around the world, students are being taught that the founder was named Auguste Juneau, a Frenchman who has no ties to Togo besides Monde Occulte.

Hidden within the ruins of a cave system known as the Nok Caves in Togo, Africa, the school of Monde Occulte uses cloaking spells to disguise itself from unmagical eyes. Students must have a unique piece of parchment on their person when walking through a specific doorway to enter the school. Once they step through the threshold, the scenery will change from a ruined village built into the rocks of the caves to a large building carved into the cliff face.

When it comes to the admission of students into the school, it is important to remember that this school is known as one of the most exclusive schools in the magical world. They accept no more than 200 postgraduates at any age and 50 undergraduates from ages 15 to 18 at any time. They accept so few people because the curriculum is meticulously designed for witches and wizards whose goal is to enter the job market as a historian or something related.

The school has four houses that were introduced in 1932. Each house represents a fundamental principle of education. The four houses are as follows: La Maison de la Recherche, The House of Seeking; La Maison de l’Action, The House of Action; Le Maison de la Connaissance, The House of Cognisance; and La Maison du Changement, The House of Change.

The student life at École du Monde Occulte is different from what you may expect. The dorms are separated by postgraduates and undergraduates. Each student gets their own private dorm room, and no one besides that student is permitted into the room. It utilizes the same piece of unique parchment that you use to get to the school. The dress code at Monde Occulte is almost non-existent, as long as there is a place on your person to keep the parchment.

That is all we have time for today. Remember not to dress too warmly, as this is Africa, after all. I know that I will have a lovely time wandering around École du Monde Occulte, and I can only hope that you will too. Thank you for tuning in, and I hope to see you around!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Hello readers! I hope you are as excited as I am for this year’s Winter Waltz at the magical school École du Monde Occulte. This school is situated in Togo, a country in western Africa, and it is quite different from what you are used to. For instance, there are no uniforms at École du Monde Occulte! This means that you can plan your own outfits. Still, outfit planning can be stressful, so this guide will help you choose outfits that will be fashionable and functional.

Daily Duds​

It is important to know that wintertime in Togo is warm unlike winter at Hogsworth. You are going to want lighter clothes for the trip so you do not overheat. Bring cotton or linen shirts, shorts, and a thin cloak or coat in case you get chilly easily (or just for the look). Prioritize loose, flowy, and breathable clothes.

Express yourself with the style and colors of your clothes! Show off your house colors or wear École du Monde Occulte’s school colors: forest green and gold. Or, bring a thin summer scarf in those colors as an accessory instead! Other accessories can help keep you comfortable on top of tying your outfit together. Bring sunglasses and a hat for outside, as well as comfortable shoes. These can be boots, sneakers, flip flops, or sandals; just be sure they do not hurt.

The last thing for everyday wear is pajamas! Bring a mix of warmer and lighter pajamas because even in the warmer climate, nights can get cold. You can mix pajamas to maintain a comfy temperature, and for extra warmth, wear fuzzy socks.

Waltz Wear​

Now is the fun part: your outfit for the waltz! You will need to bring dress clothes, but there are lots of options. If you want to wear a formal dress or robe, the hem will usually go past your upper calf but not past your ankle.

More important than the style is the color, though! Get into the winter spirit with beautiful wintery colors like white, silver, navy, emerald green, ruby red, or sapphire. Do not shy away from sequins or sparkles, either. Winter does not mean you cannot be colorful and bright. These colors go for suits as well.

Tuxedos are popular, but you can wear a regular single-breasted or double-breasted suit if you prefer. You can even mix it up! Wear a skirt with your tuxedo, throw a cloak over your suit, or wear a suit jacket with a dress.

You can pair earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings with your outfit–shoot for plain silver or jewel colors. Hair accessories like headbands and bows are great, and if you wear a hijab or head covering, match it to your outfit!

Your dress shoes should be fashionable and comfy; for flat shoes, wear Oxfords, derbies, bluchers, ballet flats, or loafers. For heels, choose ones with more support like kitten heels, wedges, chunky heels, strappy heels, boots, or classic pumps. Just avoid stilettos!

Safari Style​

You will be able to go on safari trips this winter, and you can use the day clothes you already packed for this! Just bring an extra shirt or light jacket– the mornings can get cold too. Accessories are more important: sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and a bag. Keep a water bottle, camera, guide book, and map in your bag so you are prepared.

That is everything you need to know! Use this guide to express your style while staying comfortable. The Winter Waltz will be wonderful– just be sure to have fun, and stay cool!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

Today, I will be talking about things to do to stay cosy and cool during your visit at École du Monde Occulte!

Since the school is situated in the savanna, it can get quite warm. The quickest way to cool down is to drink plenty of cold water and maybe even play magical games with water. You can even throw a water balloon fight outside with your friends!

Do you not want to be outside having a water fight? You can always take a shower to cool off, but I doubt its effects will last long with the heat outside!

Reading books is fun no matter the weather, and the library is definitely the best place to do it. There will not be too many people, and it will most likely be cool there due to the fact that there will not be a crowd, and books do not retain heat, so the air flow will be good inside.

Are you still too warm? Take a swim in the nearby lake with friends, but make sure it is safe to swim in it in the first place.

Sight-seeing can be a lot of fun too, especially since you are on a trip. I would definitely advise you to go take a look at the scenery. It is certainly a sight for sore eyes, and I could personally explore it forever.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this! I hope it helped you figure out ways to cool off in the savanna during your stay at École du Monde Occulte. I wish you all a good visit and a good trip back home!

 

[The Daily Diviner]

The tepid breeze hit his face the moment he stepped outside. Carrying a box of decorations, Dwight was tasked with retrieving the adornments for the other students.

He had been hauling boxes around for the last two hours, chatting with the other students as he passed from time to time. It was a warm day, yet he couldn’t stagger with his duties—they were short on time, after all.

He was just happy that this was the last box he had to grab.

“Dwight! Did you get the last box?” His housemate from La Maison de la Connaissance asked him, clear stress in his voice. Dwight held up the box a bit higher, signalling that he did.

“Oh, thank you! We really needed that to finish this.” Dwight placed the box down, letting his housemate ramble before he excused himself, wishing him luck as he left.

Next were the boxes for the entrance hall.

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Claudette found herself using her wand to set up the candy cane decoration in the entrance hall. Dwight, her friend, passed by with more boxes, disappearing again. It made her giggle slightly when he struggled with a box, as some were far heavier than the others.

Even though she was from a different house, they had been friends ever since their first year at the school. Claudette was proud to be in the La Maison du Changement house.

She had been decorating the hall since early morning and was finally finishing up. The next project was decorating the staircases in the school.

Luckily for her, she was allowed to use a broom to do so—and she would have help.

“Claudette, good work! Keep it up!” Dwight happily chirped as he watched her put up the last candy cane.

“Thank you, Dwight.” Not even a second later, the candy cane was up, standing steadily.

She felt quite proud of herself, as it was a big accomplishment, especially with the charms she had added to ensure the cane wouldn’t topple over.

She made her way over to the staircases, boxes and brooms all neatly in piles for the students and professors to grab, making their work easier.

Claudette grabbed the first broom and decorative garland she saw before making her way into the air, a fellow student following her to help her put it up.

It took a while, but in the end, they managed to make the staircase brim with life.

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Nicolas found himself joking around with a few of his housemates from La Maison de la Recherche as they helped make the sleeping quarters for the visiting schools.

He thought it was rather boring, and, known for being a jokester, put his talents to the test.

Most of the others tried not to laugh or found his actions annoying since they were supposed to be taking this seriously.

Not that Nicolas cared about their opinions—at least not right now, anyway. He was too busy using his wand to lift the sheets and turning them into different shapes of animals before putting them down perfectly onto each of the beds.

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Setting up the workshops was not something that Janette signed up for, but she had been assigned to do it anyway. At first, she had been annoyed, given she really wanted to help prepare the sleeping quarters instead.

She had accepted her fate, however, and followed her housemates from La Maison de la l’Action to the area with the workshops.

She was currently setting up something for the younger students, humming to herself as she emptied the cardboard box filled with embellishments.

Janette thought about the schools visiting and found herself getting quite excited about it. Getting to share her culture with other people was something she loved to do.

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As the clock struck midnight, the four students made their way into the dining hall.

Janette sighed dreamily at the decorations that littered the tables and walls. She couldn’t wait to see it brimming with students from around the world.

Claudette smiled in response. “This will certainly be a holiday to remember,” she said.

“That’s one way to put it,” Dwight rolled his shoulders, mumbling about how stiff he still felt.

“A holiday to remember indeed,” Nick said, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

 

[The Daily Diviner]

‘Twas the night of the solstice, when all through the school
Not a creature was stirring, not even a ghoul;
The slippers were set by the fire with care,
In hopes that Saint Nicolas soon would be there;
The students were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of marzipan danced in their heads;
And Drooble in his 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,
When out in the halls there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the Great Hall I flew like a flash,
Much like a pixie but maybe not as brash.
The moon lit the ruby sand aglow,
Giving lustre of midday to bridges below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be Saint Nick.
More rapid than boglogs his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
"Now, Fougueux! now, Danseur! now Rusé and Fringant!
On, Comète! Cupidon! Éclair and Elégant!
To the top of the cliff! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the clifftop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of gifts, and Saint Nicolas too—
And then, in a twinkling, I heard up above
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew out my wand and was turning around,
Down the centre Saint Nicolas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of gifts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
The magic he had, he needn’t a wand,
The spells he cast, he practically spawned;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the slippers; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the cliffside he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy solstice to all, and to all a good night!”