Prof. Sky Alton

Two, in fact. Does that make me doubly guilty? :D Has prioritised Hol over real life

Spice

Life

I slap Zenix....my signature, need I say more?

1. My spin-y, lighty-upy, sound-effecty model TARDIS. Because it’s a TARDIS (and also very effective at driving roommates to distraction) 2. One of my many jewellery boxes. Because life without rings or quirky earrings…nah 3. My Poster of a fancy, historical sword This hangs above my bed and I wouldn’t feel right without it 4. That Magical Model of the Solar System Of all the magical, shiny objects from the books, I wanted that the most 5. My fencing epee Have sword, will travel 6. My Fencing mask Because you shouldn’t do something without the proper safety equipment… 7. My fencing kit …even if it does make you look like a storm trooper 8. My hand drawn map of The Old Kingdom Because those books have a huge piece of my heart 9. Plenty of wizarding sweets They just make homework that little bit more bearable 10. Plenty of treats for the Hippogriff Dario is buying me Because I am a loving and responsible owner

Depends entirely on which kind of tea but true Has fantasised about flying

rocky

So, the class list for the autumn term is up for your perusing pleasure. Sign ups will open on Sept 1st so this is a great chance to have a look around at what's on offer and try to narrow your choices down to just 5. What are you thinking about taking? Is there anything that has got you particularly excited? Is there anything you've taken before that you think everyone should be signing up for? It'd be great to hear! http://hol.org.uk/classes.php

Plesiosaur

Goose *sighs*

It’s nearly time to board the Hogwarts Express for the autumn term! Reading and equipment lists have gone out, your family has dragged you off to the shops and there is an ominous pile of stuff sitting on your bed. Whether this is your first or even your tenth Term at HOL, you still have to somehow wedge everything you’ll need into your trunk. Roll up your sleeves and let’s tackle the packing! Books? Check. Quills? Check? Robes? Check! But what about the more exciting stuff? What personal items will you be taking to dress up your dorm, remind you of home or help you pass the time? Your Gobstones Set? That lumpy unicorn jumper Auntie Gladys knitted you for passing your exams? That new, super cool model of the solar system from Diagon Alley? Or maybe just a massive box of chocolate frogs. Post below the top 10 personal items you’ll be trying to fit into your trunk before you trundle off to King’s Cross (you can include pictures, should you so wish). It’d also be cool to hear why you couldn’t possibly leave home without them.

Here are mine so far.... For my Gryffies… Amanda P. X. Sim-The Paw Full of Plumes Award For earning 5 quills (as well as all those points!) Kim Alting-The Fantastic Pharmacists and Where to Find them Award For phenomenally completing her degree, getting a job and still being here when we need her Patrick James-The Quality Quidditch Medal For participating in games but also regularly representing the lions at Quidditch Pick-ups, SQL and the like Nicole Dark and Jonah Gilmore-The Mischief Managed Award For nearly always being on the Marauder’s Map when I check it (which is a lot!) Marie Dark-The Pur-fect Publicist Award For trying her best to convince people to join Hol and extoling the wonders of Gryff in particular Rowan Wildsmith-Order of the Copper Compass For frequently popping up all over Hol Prof. Dario Brighton-The Sassy Techie Superhero sunglasses Squirrel Award Just cause…. For Everyone Else… Vanessa Tilley-Order of the Platinum Paintbrush For being a true artist and sticking to that painting despite Goldilocks’ constant bad behaviour Maxim Trevelyan- The Ticklish Jellyfish Award For reminding me that there’s always another, awesome way to look at a situation, even if it has stingers. Gail Allen-The Viking Bread Award For working outdoors all day teaching people how to make this and still coming back to produce perfectly risen activities for our delectation Kendra Givens-The Funnel Cake Award Just for being her sweet self (and because of that QM that I will never live down) Prof. Amy Lupin-The Miraculous Ifficiency award For that…and for being incredibly fluffy Prof Tarma Amelia Black-The One Award to Rule Them All For admirably staying on top of everything and for inspiring several awesome things (not least an Impulsive Lord of the Rings re-read) that I may or may not have strictly had the time for. There will be more, I just haven’t thought of ways to phrase them yet!

We’re gearing up for another amazing school year so what better time to look back on what was awesome about the last one? Or should I say ‘Who’. HOL is wonderful but it wouldn’t be the place it is without the people who stroll the castle corridors. So it’s time to remind them just why they’re so tremendous by handing out some completely made up but very shiny prizes! This is wide open for all houses and anyone (students, professors, post graduates, ghosts, even giant squids) is welcome! Gryff is giving you a chance to make up your own award for those friends, professors or team mates who make your time on HOL memorable (or maybe even just people you see around now and again who you think deserve an imaginary trophy). You can be as silly, sappy or serious as you like. For instance, for my first presentation, I’d like to award… Prof. Missa Matz- ‘The Order of the Golden Wader’ For her fearless traversing of the sapping swamp of tedium that is Common Room Registration approvals. Post your awards below along with your reasons why (should you want to share them) and I’ll edit them into this post so everyone can see what beautiful, jewel encrusted gongs they’ve received! But folks, please keep your acceptance speeches to 5 minutes maximum, okay? Awards Received Amanda P. X. Sim: The Paw Full of Plumes Award Gail Allen: The Viking Bread Award Jonah Gilmore: The Mischief Managed Award Kendra Givens: The Funnel Cake Award Kim Alting: The Fantastic Pharmacists and Where to Find them Award Marie Dark: The Pur-fect Publicist Award Maxim Trevelyan: The Ticklish Jellyfish Award Nicole Dark: Mischief Managed Award Patrick James: The Quality Quidditch Medal Prof. Amy Lupin: The Miraculous Ifficiency award Prof, Dario Brighton: The Sassy Techie Super Hero Sunglasses Squirrel Award, The Awesome Problem Solver Award Prof. Hailey Potter : Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Mentor Prof. Missa Matz: Order of the Golden Wader, Sweet Momma-bear Award Prof. Tarma Amelia Black: The One Award to Rule Them All Rowan Wildsmith: Order of the Copper Compass Sky Alton: Muggle-Life Acumplisher Award, Most AMAZING AWESOME PERSON EVER award Vanessa Tilley: Order of the Platinum Paintbrush (Massive credit to Prof. Hailey Potter for the idea and working out the logistics last year)

A very happy, scarlet and gold birthday to one of our newly minted second years, Marie Dark Have a fabulous day!

Happy Birthday, Hailey! Here’s hoping you have an incredible birthday and the relaxing summer you more than deserve. (And cake, because everyone is required to over-do the cake on their birthday)

I'd go and beg Vanessa Tilley to help me out. She's got artistic flare and she's very lovely so I'm 99% sure she wouldn't curse me into oblivion for waking her up. Besides, she's a firsty so she's not about to tattle on me for being out of bed or being so ditsy....(wait, who said that?) You were frantically trying to cram for your potions exam tomorrow when you managed to knock an entire bookcase over. Now there are very old and valuable texts everywhere and you haven't the faintest idea of how you can put them back in order . Who would you rely on to lend a hand?

Innocent. Though I have tried it on emails that are stubbornly not arriving Has procrastinated something and actually come up with an amazing idea for something else in the process.

Welcome to the CR, Rowan! :D It's wonderful to have you here and hopefully we can find something even more fun to tempt you away from Lego Harry Potter (for a while, at least :P).

Happy birthday, Prof. Jenny! Hope you have a fantastic day Please accept this amazing, shiny, totally transparent, totally weightless luxury Broomstick Maintenance kit (that is totally not a figment of my imagination) in lieu of the amazing graphics that should be right here. :)

“You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart.”-JK Rowling, Philosopher’s Stone I was pondering this in IRC yesterday: what does ‘brave at heart’ actually mean? Charging into a battle, standing up for (or to) someone else, facing a fear or just quietly getting on with things when your world is going down the drain? The Sorting Hat doesn’t exactly give us much of a clue, even in Order of the Phoenix where Gryffindor’s are ‘those with brave deeds to their name’. It seems to me that a brave deed could be pretty much anything, depending on the person in question. So, indipendent of the Harry Potter universe, what does brave mean to you? (And no, you don’t need to be a Gryff or consider yourself ‘brave at heart’ to weigh in, have at it!)

Well, I'd hope to get the situation sorted out before a professor found out and started asking awkward questions about my dangerous incompetence so I'd go find Astrid Black as she is a class assistant for a herbology class. Hopefully she could help me rectify things before it got to the stage where I had to fess up. Uh oh, a game of gobstones got a bit too heated and now someone has been transfigured into a tortoiseshell cat. They're a very cuddly kitty but they have exams to sit next week so they can't stay that way. Who do you call to put it right?