Prof. Sky Alton

So guilty Has made themselves a to-do list and totally failed to check it at a crucial moment

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Kindly change your Gryffindor avatar/profile pic to that of a squirrel for 2 weeks Duck

I slap Zenix for being far more spontaneous than me

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As we're bringing back the Gryffindor points system, Rubies (aren't they sparkly?), you've all been backdated rubies for your participation in Gryfftoberfest 2018. One ruby is worth one bean and you'll receive the corresponding amount of beans on the HOL site shortly. For those of you who did 7 creative tasks, you'll also receive an award in due course. Thank you for helping us celebrate Gryfftoberfest and all those unsung heroes through your incredible creativity, it's been a blast!

Daisy Dodderridge (the founder) was quite a self deprecating sort who wanted a name that captured the magical nature of the establishment but was also fitting for a muggle street so she chose a very ordinary item (and problem with said item) common to both communities at the time. What happens to all the unused classrooms in Hogwarts given that only around 13 subjects can be being taught at any one time? Are there professors we've never heard of?

I'm not sure if you're aware but I once dealt with a huge flock of flamingos that had over run my study single-handed. I bear the peck marks to this day (and yet I still love those birds).

I refuse to believe you guys are partied out just yet. Get those tasks in by 11.59 PM HOL-time tomorrow!

So, it's not quite verbatim.... also, how long? Quack!

I slap Dario because I can as if he puts me in detention for it, he'll have to clean up after Gryfftoberfest himself.

We’re coming to the end of Gryfftoberfest and before I start a massive conga line around the butterbeer fountain to see it out in ‘style’, it’s time to get deep and look ahead. What great or small but important thing would you like to achieve in the wizarding world (or even in your RL life)? Tell us about it in 50 words. Then, the hardest question of all: would you be content and able to make peace with it if your contribution went unsung and was never celebrated as it perhaps deserves to be? Another 50 words on that, please. Post your combined 100 words below. As ever, you can complete this up to 4 times; you’ll earn 20 beans per submission. The deadline is 31st October.

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Never. My sense of guilt at wasting a good thing is too strong Has gone out and done something even though they were technically too sick for it to be sensible

All for one and free for all... There are many other ways to celebrate unsung heroes that we haven’t had time to cover: tapestries, statues, stained glass windows, memorial plaques, interpretative dance routines, firework displays, decorations, novelty keyrings, games, sayings/idioms, poems, raps... Write, craft, design, draw, photograph or otherwise magic up some novel way of paying tribute. You can pick something that memorialises one particular hero or something that includes lots of people. The only condition is it has to be fun (and obviously follow HOL rules.... so, two conditions). Post your creations below. As usual, you can complete this task up to 4 times; you’ll earn 20 beans per entry (25 if you get them in by October 28th). Overall deadline: 31st October.

There are few better ways to inspire than a quotation. I always have one in my signature as a reminder of something important I should keep in mind (what do you mean right now it’s about unicorns? Are you telling me that’s not important to remember?). For this game, I want to collect a library of inspiring quotations to encourage us to do things anyway, even if they seem impossible or even if they go unnoticed. You’ll earn 2 beans per quote for your first 5 quotes posted by October 31st. They can be quotations from books, famous speakers or even song lyrics. Keep them HOL appropriate and credit the person who came up with them! I’ll start: ‘In the slip of a bolt, there’s a tiny revolt. The seed of a war in the creak of a floorboard. The storm can begin with a flap of a wing, the tiniest might packs the mightiest sting.’ – Tim Minchin

Sometimes a hero isn’t merely overlooked. Now and again, an arguably greater injustice happens and someone else gets credited with their deed. Perhaps the greatest modern example of this are those people who fell afoul of the charming but gutless Gilderoy Lockhart. It’s time to do justice to the people who really holidayed with hags and wandered with werewolves. What would the books of Lockhart’s victims have looked like if they’d been inclined to publish before he caught up to them? Write a blurb (100 words or more) or design the cover for one of these ‘true stories’, including details about the author if you so choose. Post your blurbs or covers below; you can complete this task up to 4 times and you’ll earn 20 beans for each (25 if you get them in by 25th October). Deadline is 31st October.

All together now! 'And Odo the hero, they bore him back home To the place that he'd known as a lad. They laid him to rest with his hat inside out And his wand snapped in two, which was sad.’ Okay, that’s enough of that. But I think we are in need of some new songs to elevate with our… Unique voices. So, I’d like you to re-write part or all of a muggle song so that it commemorates the exploits of a lesser known wizarding hero. Things to Keep in Mind: You need not do the entire song (unless you want to) but please make sure the section you pick is at least 12 lines long. Actually put some work in: I won’t award you anything if you’ve just switched a few words around Make sure the original song is entirely HOL appropriate Credit the song name and artist of the one you’re using Bring earmuffs Post your songs below. You can complete this task up to 4 times; you’ll receive 20 beans per song (25 if you get them in by October 22nd). The deadline is, as ever, the 31st of October.

Molly’s defeat of Bellatrix, Neville’s defiance of Voldemort’s entire army, Snape’s work as a double agent, Lilly’s sacrifice and basically most things Harry ever did (saving those moody periods but less said about those the better): they’re all strong candidates for the bravest acts in the books. But as we’ve learned, bravery isn’t always about defeating some great evil or saving the lives of those you love. Bravery is subjective: what might seem a small and quiet act to someone observing may take all the courage in the world. In your opinion, what is the single bravest act (or sequence of acts) undertaken by a character from the Harry Potter Books? If possible, try to interpret bravery in a broader sense but traditional acts of courage like those above are also acceptable. Explain your pick in 100 words or more. Post your choices below; you can complete this task up to 4 times and you’ll earn 20 beans for each you submit (25 if you get them in by October 19th). The overall deadline is, as ever, the 31st of October.

They have a young offenders institution in Inverness guarded by security trolls. What led someone to invent something as disgusting as cockroach clusters?

In a time long ago, in a land not so far away…. We’re going to the movies! For this task, I’d like you to pick an unsung hero and imagine a film is finally being made about them. You can choose to design a movie poster for the up coming film and make a graphic of it or write the voice over/script for a teaser trailer. You can choose a person from the books (hint: the category ‘historical figures’ on the Harry Potter Wiki is super useful) or make up one of your own. If you make a graphic please keep it to 600 x 600 pixels and if you write a trailer, it needs to be 100 words or more. Post your posters or trailers below; you can complete this task up to 4 times and you’ll earn 20 beans for each poster or trailer you submit (25 if you get them in by October 16th). The overall deadline is, as ever, the 31st of October.

Did you know that I discovered 7 new secret passages and a hidden laundry closet on a single afternoon stroll?

Today’s a chance to celebrate our very own Deputy Head of House, Deputy Headmaster and Groundskeeper (plus all the titles I’ve given him in the past that would take far too much explaining), Prof. Dario Brighton! Happy birthday, Dario. I hope it’s a tremendous one. I also hope that my annual tradition of leaping all over the furniture yelling ‘DHoH, my DHoH’ will distract you from the fact that over the last 48 hours I have spilled potentially dangerous potion all over the CR and clogged everything up with red and gold confetti. Wait, did I say that out loud?

Orders of Merlins of various classes, special awards for services to the school, Medals of Magical Merit, Barnabus Finkley Prizes for Excellence in Spell Casting, even Witch Weekly’s Most Charming Smile Awards. The Wizarding World (and the trophy rooms of not just Hogwarts but Ilvermorny and the other schools too) are dripping in cups, shields and other shiny things commemorating great acts. There are plenty of prizes out there for the people who excel at magic or sports to win; maybe it’s time we recognised something a bit more obscure. What would you like to award an accolade for? It can be as serious or silly as you like. What form might it take? Who would be some potential recipients? You can do this task one of several ways: 1. Physically craft your award/medal/shield/sparkly thing and show us a photo of the finished product 2. Create a graphic (no more than 600 x 600 pixels, please) 3. Write about it in 100 words or more If you choose option one or 2, please also include a sentence or two of explanation about your award. Post your awards below; you can complete this task up to 4 times and you’ll earn 20 beans per award (25 if you get them in by the 13th of October). The overall deadline is 31st October.