The Wizarding Times
Contests/Games/Citrines
Last year, our Head of House, Professor Olivia Rictusempra, declared that the Socks were getting too smelly and ratty-looking. Besides which, they were not trendy anymore -- she wanted something more spectacular. Our wonderful Head Prefect, CheekyXIIIx!Cosmo Brown, figured out the answer... beautiful yellow gems by the name of CITRINES! Oooh! Look at the pretty yellow gems!
Professor Olivia Rictusempra:
And and... there will be a new shop, which Cosmo Brown has been working on day and night! There will be lots and lots of opportunities to gather citrines, which you can turn around and use in the shop to buy various goodies, clothing, just about any silly thing you think up! There will be an announcement when the shop is ready to be opened... so, keep playing those games and you'll be ready to buy buy buy!
In our Citrine Cove, Hufflepuff Prefects Jake Patil and Tarma Black keep track of all the Citrine earning opportunities for the Sett (and the Sett's visitors). They schedule most of the opportunities, make sure they happen, make sure the Citrines are recorded after the game or contest has ended, add all the Citrines up, and keep all the sparkly Citrines away from Parker the Poltergeist!
Tarma Black is in charge of all DoHGaS Citrines. You may be wondering - "What does DoHGaS stand for? Dogs of Hermione Granger and Soap? Dishes on Hairy Gorillas and Snails?" What does it stand for and when did it start?
A couple of years ago, one day in the Sett a new sort of post was seen. Dom McDermott, Head Prefect of Hufflepuff, had come up with an astoundingly wonderful idea to keep the Badgers busy and out of trouble. He created "The Games Tent" -- and in order to even enter this Games Tent, one had to solve the puzzle which gave the password. How fiendishly clever this was, and how appropriate -- yet it was the start of a smashing success story.
Dom headed this Games Tent for ages, but the press of duties caused him to look around with anyone else with a similarly warped sense of humour. Erroneously lighting upon Tarma Black as such a person, she was tortur.... invited to co-head the Games Tent with Dom. Accepting with great panache the honor being offered her and disregarding the Rake of Pain which threatened her if she did not accept, Tarma found out, over the months, just how much fun it was to come up with evil fun challenges.
One day, while he was helping with a Transfiguration OWL, Dom ran afoul a nasty backfiring jinx and was aged into Professor Dom Gaidin! Currently, the members of DoHGaS are: Prof. Dom Gaidin, Tarma Black, Elyranna Reginhart, Prof. Esmerelda Knotwise, and Seren Edwards. They produce games and challenges every month, where folks may tantalize their wits and earn Citrines.
New Hufflepuff Prefect Jake Patil is in charge of keeping track of all non-DoHGaS Citrine earning opportunities. He schedules the proposed games and reminds folks when to do them (if they need to be reminded). He makes sure that the Citrines earned by all the folks participating in games, polls, challenges and kitchen activities are posted in the proper places so that they can be totalled monthly.
Jake has posted the July and August Citrines at the Badger Citrine Table, which all Badgers can check here. All members of other houses may view the Citrine Table here.
If you are a Badger and have a brilliant idea for a game or contest where Citrines could be earned, please tell your Prefect of your idea so that they can post it in the Prefects Bathroom for Professor Olivia to look at. If it is approved, Jake will take note of the different activities already scheduled, and find a great place for you to have your own contest!
We hope to see everyone playing here, and earning wonderful, sparkly Citrines!
The Spiffies
Hello Badgery and Snakey and Liony and Eagley and NonHouseAffiliatedy readers!
I'm here to report to you about the Hufflepuff Quidditch team in this fine Wizarding Times issue. The good, the better, and the wonderful!
First, we have had an interesting season this last year. Unfortunately, no wins for us, but fear not (or do fear, depends who you are), our Spiffy team is working very hard to make up for it this coming season!
To report to you about our previous season, we have had 4 matches. Our first, against Gryffindor ended with a score of 110 to 30 for the Lions. The next one, against Ravenclaw, ended with a score of 160 to 20. The next Gryffindor one with 240 to 60, and the last Ravenclaw one with a score of 250 to 70.
Right after our last match against Ravenclaw, our Captain, Kelsey Willow (now Prof. Aislynn Willow of Gryffindor), has announced she was stepping down from the position. She has left the team management to me. (That would be Talya Mamush. Hi!) Since then, the team has gone through some changes.
First, joining Lilly Stargazer, the existing Co Captain, was Kiara Diamonte who was Junior Captain up until then. (That position has been canceled). Our roster currently contains 14 people, which is plenty, but our current policy is not to limit the number of members joining the team. I invite anyone interested in Quidditch to join us in #huffquid and to have some fun.
It has also been decided that tryouts would require the tryoutee to bot 25 points and be evaluated by that. (Unless there are 3 or more candidates, in which case they'd play a friendly match against newer members of the team). Additionally, any previous (but not too previous) member of HQT who wants to come back would not have to go through a tryout, but a returning period would require them to be active in the team and to show that they do mean to come back fully.
We have also added the "Official Practice", which happens every Saturday at 9 pm (when there isn't an official match going on, of course), and goes on for a whole hour. Its purpose is to have a more intense practice that would hopefully enable all or most team members to attend. Otherwise we have quite a few practices run by team members during the week! Since we would like to have all badgers involved in the team if Quidditch is of interest to them, the practice schedule has been posted at The Sett for you to be able to attend.
For Huffies, all details about the team and joining it can be found here.
Have a wonderful Quidditch season everyone! See you at the pitch!
Cheerie-Os
Hello Badgers! Welcome to another year! The Hufflepuff Cheerleaders, the Cheerie-Os would like to give you a 21 broom salute, but we need YOU!! If you are interested in joining the Cheerie-Os this year for great fun cheering on our fabulous quidditch team, be sure to contact Co-Head cheerie-os Emma Pacifica or Anne Damhsoir. Official tryouts were on the 23rd of September, but don't let that stand in your way of your dream of cheering on the team!
The Cheerie-Os are working on a great spirit week this year where there will be contests and games and fun for everyone leading up to the first great quidditch match. Be sure to keep an eye on The Sett for announcements if you want to participate. If you have any questions or want more information about the Cheerie-Os, send a pm to Emma Pacifica or Anne Damsoir today!
Spirit Committee
The Hufflepuff Spirit Committee, guided into mischief by Felicia Hartwick (of cherrywood soapbox fame) and Tarma Black (whose heroes are the Weasley twins), has maintained a perfect batting average of nominating folks for awards every month this last summer (and even before that).
We can't really say much about the committee, being as the members are supposed to be anonymous, but let it be known that they range far and wide, in Hufflepuff and HOL Hogwarts, looking for folks with certain Badgerly traits. (Cold wet noses do not count.)
Our speaker for the Spirit Committee, Felicia Hartwick, is currently in the midst of apparating a computer to her, so we haven't announced the August awards yet, but we do have folks who won some! :)
Hang tough for the announcement of the August Spirit Committee Awards, and soon we will be having awards announced for September! (Maybe they will be made at the same time, depending on how soon Felicia receives her new computer.)
Foster Badger/ Orientation/Handbook
Hello Badgers! Welcome to a new school year!
The new year has brought in lots of new first year badger cubs and with new cubs comes a few updates on programs to help them settle into their new sett.
The foster badger program is a way for newbie badgers to have a friend to show them the easiest and quickest passages to take them to their classes or to the quidditch pitch, or to simply help them get settled in to HOL and Hufflepuff by showing them the ropes and how not to trip over them. *g*
We were all ickle firsties once and remember quite well the confusing maze of staircases and being welcomed by Parker with water balloons and dungbombs. So if you are a new badger cub and would like to be adopted by a foster badger, send a PM to Emma Pacifica, Elyranna Reginhart, or Tarma Black on the Hufflepuff or HOL forum.
If you have been an active member of Hufflepuff for at least one term and are interested in applying to become a foster badger for our ickle badger cubs then please view the application posted in the Sett. Return it to Emma Pacifica, Elyranna Reginhart, or Tarma Black via PM on the Hufflepuff forum.
In order to help our badger cubs settle into the Sett by teaching them the ropes, Hufflepuff also offers orientation classes to our ickle badger cubs. Even our not-so ickle badgers benefit from the fun, silly, and informational classes. It helps keep everyone up to date on any new changes for the year, and it also helps refresh memories of rules that may have gone to the cobweb section of the brain after many years in HOL.
Orientation this summer was extremely exciting with three separate opportunities for the badgers to earn some sparkly citrines! If you missed the activities and festivities, never fear! The lessons will remain posted for reference and there will be a refresher course for all of the cubs joining mid-year during the Christmas holiday season.
Here is a list of the games and citrine earners for each of the orientation activities.
Quidditch Lesson - Seeker Puzzle
Miyah Baker - 20 citrines
Mopsy Prewett - 20 citrines
Talya Mamush - 20 citrines
Tarma Black - 20 citrines
Prof. Dom Gaidan - 20 citrines
The Sett Lesson - Posting Pretties Spellcasting (& other related activities)
Felicia Hartwick - 3 citrines
Isis Crane - 7 citrines
Lilly Weasley - 3 citrines
Tarma Black - 4 citrines
Huffle Fun 101 Lesson - Anagram Challenge
Cosmo Brown - 40 citrines
Keaira Filan - 40 citrines
Tarma Black - 40 citrines
Seren Edwards - 36 citrines
Rorey Padfoot - 34 citrines
Kath Snape - 34 citrines
Elyranna Reginhart - 32 citrines
Rachel Sandersen - 24 citrines
Amber Woodlock - 12 citrines
So with all of the orientation lessons wrapped up, there is one more thing that guides all of the newbie and oldie badgers when they come up against a badgerly head scratcher. Presenting... THE HUFFLEPUFF HANDBOOK!
You can view your own copy of the handbook by viewing here.
The Hufflepuff Handbook goes under construction as changes occur in the sett and every effort is made to keep it as up to date as possible. When you visit, you will notice, due to the large amount of information, that the information is stored in a forum. You need not sign up for the forum since it is an informational source only. The folks who are on the members list are the ones that help to keep the handbook updated and functional. Allow me to introduce the current handbook staff editors.
Emma Pacifica
Jake Patil
Tarma Black
Talya Mamush
If you have been in HOL for at least one term and wish to become a member of the Hufflepuff Handbook editing staff please send a PM to Emma Pacifica.
Have a wonderful school year badgers!!!
The Mod Squad Report
After a few weeks remodeling the old and dusty office that was given to us as our headquarters, the new MOD Squad is finally up and running. Oh, but there weren't only wall color and carpet matching mind you; we had to process bags full of Curriculum Vitae and, most importantly, carefully choose the perfect candidates for the job of MOD Squadders. The task was hard, but after many boxes of cookies and lots of tea, we finnaly decided on a team.
If you look carefully you can now see Samuel Craft hanging around Huffies Corner and keeping an eye on your daily "Hellos". Askeron "Asky" Kyle can be found cleaning mud tracks and taking good care of the soapbox in The Sett. Once Upon a Time is now under the watchful eye of Rorey Padfoot, while you can expect to see Peter Shechem in work overalls in The Garden. The fabulous pair that forms Melody Greenspell and Keaira Filan is controling the jumping up and downs on beds in The Dorms and keeping the fire alive in the Fireside. As a special treat, we have birthday expert Felicia Hartwick singing and throwing confetti in The Giant Birthday Card. As for us, Lilly and Ely, we are relaxing on the fluffy sofa while watching staff making annoucements in Hear Ye, Hear Ye, as well as keeping an eye here and there.
So, if you cross paths with one of these lovely poeple, remember that they are doing a hard job as forum moderators. So, please give them high sugar leveled food; they will love you for it, as long as the goodies are not bribes to let you spam.
Now on to the fun stuff. The few people that were selected to be part of the MOD Squad are very special people. They are all well loved and well known badgers, but how well do you know them? As a reward for reading this update on the Squad, we prepared a little game for you. The goal is to correctly associated unknown facts about the Squadders to the right person. Hard, you say? Well, it's a guessing game Everyone who sent in their guesses via PM to either Lilly or Ely before the end of October, will be given 2 citrines. The lucky person (or persons) that will guess correctly all of the associations will win 5 citrines, a basket of brownies muffin (it's a new recipe, don't ask ) and a free can of Parker repellent. The answers will be revealed in the next edition of the WT, with in our next update.
Thank you and good luck!
1. Samuel Craft
2. Rorey Padfoot
3. Lilly Stargazer
4. Asky Askeron Kyle
5. Keaira Filan
6. Melody Greenspell
7. Elyranna Reginhart
A) Has a freckle on the palm of his/her left hand
B ) Is a champion of the Magical Broomstick Dancing competition, 4 years in a row
C) Is addicted to baking brownies (to give either as bribes or gift giving)
D) Is late everywhere he/she goes
E) Is the Champion muffin baker of his/her town (won with his/her famous blueberry muffins that everybody loves)
F) Collects memorabilia of the Muggle soft drink Coca Cola
G) Is obsessed about Westlife just like Rachel Cherokee is