Chapter Eight
Last week, the students had all collectively dreaded History of Magic, which was said to be rather dull under the instruction of Professor Binns. However, that had more than changed after their first lesson with Professor Aldous.
On Monday, the professor stood at the back of the room, fiddling with the projector in preparation for their lesson. She greeted them all as they entered and began to take their seats. Today, her robes drew admiration from Hermione, who found them rather pretty. They were a light sky blue, made of a soft-looking material that flowed like water, shimmering faintly under the sunlight. The floor-length robes had cap-like sleeves and were embroidered with constellations, flowers and celestial objects around the neck, hemline and wrists.
“I love her robes,” Hermione whispered to Adeline as they took their seats and got out their things.
Adeline nodded, her gaze fixed on the embroidery. “They’re stunning. She looks like she stepped out of a painting.”
Professor Aldous turned with a warm smile. “Good morning, class.” She waved her wand, and the heavy curtains drew closed, plunging the room into darkness. With another flick, she activated the old magical projector. The large chalkboard at the front of the room illuminated with vivid, moving illustrations of the four founders of Hogwarts.
The first image depicted Godric Gryffindor, tall and muscular in his deep crimson and gold robes, a gleaming silver sword with a ruby pommel hanging from his side. His auburn hair, streaked with blond and red, fell to his shoulders, and a short beard framed his strong jaw. A lion cub was curled in the crook of one arm like a baby, whilst Helga Hufflepuff stood with a hand on his other arm.
Helga exuded an aura of warmth and kindness. Her honey-blonde hair was half-braided, crowned with flowers that matched the earthy tones of her green and gold robes. Her embroidered attire depicted vines, blossoms, and small woodland creatures. At her feet, a badger rested, its head tilted up toward her as if seeking her guidance.
Beside Helga stood Rowena Ravenclaw, her presence commanding and ethereal. Her tall, willowy frame was adorned in midnight blue robes with silver embroidery in the shape of stars and ancient runes. Her black hair, styled in an elaborate braid with silver circlets, fell over her shoulder. A simple silver tiara set with a sapphire rested on her head, and a raven perched on her left shoulder, its sharp eyes scanning for threats.
Finally, Salazar Slytherin was depicted as a tall, lean figure dressed in emerald-green robes that were devoid of embroidery. Instead, snakes of all breeds curled their way up his arms and feet, and another much larger serpent hung from his neck like a scarf. His sleek black hair was tied back, revealing his angular face and pale, scarred neck.
Professor Aldous allowed the students a few moments to take in the images before she began speaking. “I hope you all had a good weekend and are ready for another lesson. Today, we’ll continue exploring the founders and the creation of Hogwarts. These four individuals weren’t just brilliant minds—they were products of their time, a period rife with danger, power struggles, and innovation. Can anyone tell me a historical event from around this era that might have influenced their lives and decision-making?”
Padma Patil raised her hand and answered confidently, “There was no Statute of Secrecy back then, Professor and magic was still used openly. But Christianity was spreading across England, causing fear and mistrust toward those capable of magic.”
“Excellent, Miss Patil! Five points to Ravenclaw,” Aldous praised. “As Miss Patil said, the spread of Christianity brought fear and misunderstanding, leading to the persecution of witches and wizards. The founders, each heralding from powerful and influential families, felt a deep responsibility to protect young witches and wizards, especially those who couldn’t yet control their abilities. Their solution was Hogwarts, a safe haven for magical education.” She gestured to the illustration of Godric and Helga. “The Gryffindor and Hufflepuff families were closely allied. In fact, Godric and Helga were arranged to be married as part of an effort to unite their families’ power.”
Adeline’s eyes widened in surprise. “They were engaged?” Clearly, this wasn’t a commonly known fact considering that most of the students, including the Purebloods, all looked rather surprised by this. Hermione wondered why that was—it seemed like something that would be rather known in history books, so it had her questioning why exactly it seemed not to be.
“Indeed. It was a common practice among noble families to strengthen alliances. Godric and Helga grew up together, so it was a welcome match. Their engagement marked their formal introduction to the Wizard’s Court—the precursor to our Wizengamot. It was there that they met Salazar and Rowena, who were also heirs to their respective family legacies. The four became fast friends, united by their shared vision and desire to protect the magical community.” She went on to explain how the Norman Conquest and the increasing persecution of magical individuals influenced the founders’ decision to create a school. “Helga inherited a vast plot of land in Scotland, including a place called Coille Dubh—or the Dark Forest. She had been studying the land’s magical properties when the idea of Hogwarts began to take shape.”
The students listened intently as Professor Aldous described the contributions of each founder to the construction and defence of the school. Godric designed the castle’s physical defences; Rowena added its magical protections, including moving staircases and enchanted statues; Helga cultivated the grounds and protected magical creatures; and Salazar created the complex warding system that made Hogwarts one of the most secure locations in the wizarding world.
Hermione’s quill raced across her parchment, her hand cramping from the sheer volume of notes. She had never considered the sheer genius and determination it took to create Hogwarts. Her curiosity burned brighter with every word Professor Aldous spoke.
As the lesson drew to a close, Professor Aldous had them all groaning when she said, “Now, I’m not sure who’s aware of this, but as part of your fifth, sixth and seventh years, you must submit a research project for each subject as part of your exams. This is a non-negotiable. However, we like to give you all the option for each year from now until fourth year to submit a research project for each class as extra credit on your exams. This is a choice, but can be highly favourable to you all come exam time if you’re concerned about your grades. If this is something that seems of interest to you, you must submit your research topic to me by the end of October at the very latest for my approval.” At the mention of extra credit, many students seemed to perk up a little, though they still seemed reluctant about adding more homework to their schedules. “In the meantime, your homework is to complete two feet of parchment on an aspect of Hogwarts that interests you the most: whether that be the castle itself, the grounds, Hogwarts’ creation, a famed headmaster, or even one of the founders—that’s up to you. Don’t hesitate to let your imagination run wild. I’ll see you all on Wednesday.”
Students packed up their supplies to head for their first break of the day.
Hermione waited in the hallway with Adeline, who she’d been sitting with, for Daphne and Alana. Once together, they headed to the Great Hall to get a small snack in the half an hour they had until Transfiguration. “Do you all think you’ll do a research project?” she asked them all as they headed for the moving staircases.
“Definitely,” Daphne said quickly, “I’m not sure on what yet—I’ll need to look at the curriculum first to see what we’re studying all year and what most interests me, but I think it’d be silly not to do one. I mean, I don’t think I’ll fail my exams or get a low score, but it couldn’t hurt to have extra credit as a backup anyway.”
“That was my thought process as well,” Adeline chimed in, “Besides, I quite like history and I think it’ll be interesting and rewarding to focus on something for so long, you know?”
“Right!” Hermione agreed, “I’ve always loved projects and research so this is right up my rally.”
“‘Cause you’re a swot,” Alana teased, nudging Hermione before lacing her arm through hers.
“Rude,” laughed Hermione in response.
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“Before we begin with our lesson for today,” Professor McGonagall began in Transfiguration after recess, “I want to take a moment to see what you all remember from last week. Can anyone tell me one of the fundamental laws of Transfiguration?”
Hermione immediately sat up straighter in her seat, her pen poised over her notebook. She’d read her textbook cover-to-cover multiple times, and had done a good deal of revision of other book’s over the weekend. She didn’t doubt that she could recite the laws in her sleep by now, but she also wanted to give other students a chance to speak and have their go at answering.
“Yes, Miss Black?” called Professor McGonagall. Adeline, who was sitting a row behind with Alana, must’ve raised her hand.
“Food cannot be conjured from nothing and must exist in some form already,” Adeline answered smoothly.
“Correct, Miss Black. Take a point for Slytherin,” Professor McGonagall praised warmly.
Next, Neville raised a hand tentatively. “Items like silver and gold can’t be created to prevent unbalances in the economy?” he posed this like a question, as though unsure of himself.
“Excellent, Mr Longbottom. Precisely. Take a point for Gryffindor.”
Hermione raised her hand this time. “True life—as in our consciousness—cannot be created through Transfiguration, they are only animated objects.”
“Excellent, Miss Granger. One point to Slytherin.” They proceeded to go through the rest of the laws, and then Professor McGonagall did a quick revision of the formula before they proceeded with their main lesson. “Today, we’ll begin preparing for your first attempt at Transfiguration on Wednesday: transforming a matchstick to a needle, and its reversal charm. Now, Transfiguration is not like other forms of magic. In Transfiguration, you need not only point your wand and say the spell, but you must also understand and visualise the object you're transforming, and how it should behave and present itself. This requires a high level of concentration, dedication and attention to detail. Only then can you achieve a stunning, accurate display of Transfiguration.”
Hermione instantly understood what Professor McGonagall meant by needing a high level of understanding and visualisation to achieve the transformation. It wasn’t enough to just point her wand, speak the incantation and hope for success. She had to understand the very essence of the matchstick: how it would shift, change; how the texture of the wood would shift into the smoothness of the needle, how the fine point would form.
“Now, I want you all to close your eyes for a moment and picture a matchstick. Once you’ve formed a clear picture of it, I want you to imagine changing it into a needle. Consider what complications may arise in such a transformation. What are the differences between the two objects?”
Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, immediately conjuring an image of the matchstick in her mind. She could see it perfectly, the small cylindrical shape, the faint brown colour of the wood. Then she imagined the needle, the gleam of metal, the fine point. The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how different the two objects were, even though they were similar in size.
Parvati Patil raised her hand. “The matchstick is made of wood, and the needle is made of metal, so changing one into another might be tricky if you’re not also considering the change in details between materials.”
Professor McGonagall smiled approvingly. “Excellent, Miss Patil. That’s exactly right. Take a point for Gryffindor.”
Wood and metal. Hermione hadn’t been thinking about that specific detail but of course. She wasn’t just changing a matchstick into metal, she was changing its very composition. One which was rather brittle and breakable, and the other firm and hardy; one brown and the other silver and gleaming; one rather dull in sensation, and the other pointy and sharp. She’d have to keep all of that in mind during the Transfiguration, otherwise she could come out with something that resembled a needle but snapped in half when manipulated. She made quick notes of this to practice visualising later.
Professor McGonagall turned to the board, and with a quick flick of her wand, a perfect diagram of both the matchstick and needle appeared. “Now, this may not be something you would consider yet on your own, but it is very important in Transfiguration,” she began, “Notice the size, weight and shape of each object. Can anybody tell me something they notice about it?”
Hermione raised her hand this time. “Well, they’re very similar in all three: they’re fairly light, both are thin and long with circular ends.”
“Correct, Miss Granger,” McGonagall nodded. “This means that the transformation requires much less energy than if you were to be turning a matchstick into a large object or a creature. This is why we start on objects so small and with something that seems easy so that you can get a good sense of all the changes that should occur before we get to Transfigurations that could have undesired outcomes. Now, however, we should always have a backup object in case things go awry. First, and most important, is that you never try a new Transfiguration or spell on your own in case something goes wrong. Secondly, is that you know the reversal spell, which will change back whatever you just Transfigured.”
She turned and wrote on the board: Reverto Formam and drew beside it a counterclockwise spiral that ended in a sharp downward straight line.
“This is the reversal spell in Transfiguration. It is a Latin-based spell meaning “return to form” and it will return an object or a creature to its original state. I’d like you all to repeat the spell aloud to me now in a clear voice. Ready, one, two, three…”
“Reverto Formam,” the class chorused, and she corrected some of them on the correct pronunciation before walking them through the wand motion so that she could make sure they were all doing it correctly. They repeated this for the incantation for the matchstick-to-needle Transfiguration, which was Ferro Vertus, and the wand movement, which was like drawing an ‘A’ but with the middle of the A on an angle.
As class wrapped up, Professor McGonagall advised them that their homework was to practice both incantations and wand movements—though separately, so they didn’t accidentally Transfigure or Un-Transfigure something they weren’t supposed to—in preparation for Wednesday. She, too, like Professor Aldous had, announced the option for them all to complete research projects as part of their exams, though in Transfiguration, they had the option to research a major discovery or historical event within the subject, or a particular Transfiguration, such as the matchstick to needle transformation.
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The following morning, they were beginning their first practical work in Charms—the Wand-Lighting Charm.
In preparation, Hermione had done her homework on the charm as required and had spent the few days since her and Daphne’s meditation session to continue practising. It had become a bit of a morning and nighttime ritual for her, and she hadn’t imagined how different it could make her feel in only a few short days, but it had. Each time she meditated, it became a little bit easier to connect with her core, that flickering flame growing ever so brighter and more stable. And her mind felt… clearer. She noticed that her usual racing, never-ending thoughts seemed to slow, particularly right after meditating. It was definitely something she would continue doing each day, in the hopes that it helped not only her magic but her mind. Who knows, one day she might even be able to do Occulemency.
When she entered the Charms classroom, she handed her homework to Professor Flitwick, who greeted her, before she took a seat with Lily, Susan and Hannah to her left, and Adeline, Alana and Daphne to her right.
Once they’d all taken their seats, Professor Flitwick stepped up to his dais to begin the lesson. “Good morning, first years. I hope you’re all excited and prepared to begin learning our first spell today: the Wand-Lighting Charm. Now, you’ve all handed in your homework as required, so you’ll be allowed to attempt the charm. But can anybody remind me of the spell?” Most of them raised their hands and Professor Flitwick seemed pleased by this. “Yes, Mr Zabini?”
“Lumos, is the charm, Sir,” he responded.
“Excellent, take a point for Slytherin,” he praised. “Before we begin our attempts, we’ll go over the spell and wand movement so I can be sure you all have it correct before you try.” He went over both with them numerous times, as well as the Nox Charm—which extinguished the Lumos Charm—correcting them on improper pronunciation or wand movements, before they were allowed to begin attempting the spell.
Hermione, wand in hand and mimicking the correct hold as directed by Professor Flitwick, eagerly took a deep breath and said firmly—confidently, “Lumos.” Nothing happened. Her brows furrowed in disappointment for a moment. Then, remembering her meditation, she closed her eyes and took a few moments to centre herself and focus on that inner core. When she opened her eyes again and said the spell again, the tip of her wand lit up in a brilliant wash of white light.
“Ah!” Professor Flitwick exclaimed excitedly, “Look, Miss Granger’s done it! Ten points to Slytherin!”
His voice distracted her and the light fizzled out quickly, but Hermione beamed wide, feeling proud of herself. Her friends clapped for her, making her blush a little before they returned to their work.
Daphne, too, did the spell rather easily as she’d known it for a while now, but everyone else seemed to be struggling a little—some lit up faintly before winking out, and others did nothing.
“Why is it so difficult?” Adeline muttered frustratedly, her wand just letting out a puff of smoke.
“Don’t let your emotions cloud your concentration,” Hermione said gently, hoping she wasn’t overstepping by helping. “Close your eyes, take some deep breaths and picture in your mind what you want your wand to do, then try.”
Adeline sighed, as if thinking it wouldn’t help, but did so anyway. When she tried the spell again, it lit up—barely for a second but it was enough for Adeline’s disappointment to turn to excitement. “I did it!” she said in a slight squeal and threw her arms around Hermione. “Thanks, ‘Mione. You’re a lifesaver.”
Hermione laughed. “You’re welcome.”
By the end of the lesson, the room was filled with intermittent bursts of light, flickering like fireflies as more students succeeded in casting the charm, slowly practising how to maintain their focus to keep the light going for longer—Hermione had gotten her wand to stay lit up for thirty seconds by the end and vowed to practice every day.
“Practice this charm every day—it is the foundation for many others. Tomorrow, we’ll continue practising the Lumos Charm. Next week, we’ll be beginning to learn the theory behind the Levitation Charm, Wingardium Leviosa. In preparation, please read the chapter in your textbooks about the Levitation Charm and present me with two feet of parchment on Locomotion Charms and their practical uses. See you all tomorrow.” They all began to pack up their things to head to recess when Professor Flitwick called out, “Miss Granger, Miss Greengrass, please stay behind for a moment.”
Hermione and Daphne exchanged a worried look with their friends, who said they’d wait outside.
“Yes, Professor Flitwick?” Hermione asked as they approached his desk.
“You’re not in trouble,” he said first, which had Hermione exhaling a sigh of relief. “I just wanted to congratulate you both on exemplary Charms work today. You both were the quickest to achieve the charm and already showed progress in learning to control and maintain the charm. I’m excited to see your growth this year.”
“Thank you, Professor,” beamed Daphne.
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After recess, they had Defence Against the Dark Arts, where Professor Quirrell introduced them to shield charms and the many that they’d learned over their time at Hogwarts.
In Potions, they brewed the Breath-Freshening Charm.
Then at 4:30 that afternoon, she headed to the library for her first extracurricular session of helping out Madam Pince in the library.
The week passed rather quickly from there.
Wednesday’s double session of Transfiguration had them all reeling at how difficult it was compared to Charms. Unlike Charms, where visualising what you wanted to happen helped quite a lot, Transfiguration made it more difficult with one trying to maintain their focus at the same time as visualising the transformation. Eventually, Hermione mostly managed the matchstick-to-needle Transfiguration, although the silver wasn’t as shiny or pointy as she would’ve liked it to be. She would continue working on it in her spare time, Professor McGonagall having given them each a packet of matchsticks to practice on.
In Herbology the following morning, they worked in the Greenhouse dedicated to plants used by the house elves for meals. They spent their double lesson pruning, watering, harvesting and re-planting a multitude of plants: herbs, vegetables and fruit of all varieties so that Professor Sprout could coach them through working with plants before they began further work with magical plants.
The following evening, the school had their first Student Council meeting, located in Classroom 1F.
Hermione attended with the girls, who were all eager to see what went on in these meetings.
The council was originally formed at the beginning of Dumbledore’s succession to Headmaster as a way to allow students more input into the day-to-day life at Hogwarts. In recent years, it was expanded to include the organisation and management of all school events.
The room it was located in was long and not as wide and filled with a lengthy table that would allow all present to have a seat. Surprisingly, fewer students attended than Hermione thought would. At one end, the Head Boy—from Slytherin—Emin Tiberius, and Head Girl—from Ravenclaw—Emmerson McAdams, were sat at the very end of the table already, talking quietly with a few other students over a pile of papers that they were shuffling through.
Once everyone had taken their seats and the clock on the wall turned to seven, Emin stood from his seat. “Welcome everyone, to the first United Council of Students meeting of the year,” he greeted, “These meetings don’t just plan opportunities for collaboration, creativity and school spirit, they help us build a better Hogwarts. Let’s begin by introducing this year's council leadership team and their roles, as was voted for at the end of last year.
“Myself and Emmerson McAdams, the Head Girl, are the co-presidents this year and we’ll oversee all meetings, to ensure they run smoothly. Our vice president is Lydia Fox, a seventh-year Prefect, who’ll assist us and take charge when we can’t—particularly when we’re absent for Wizengamot sessions. Our Treasurer is Sebastian McNeil from Hufflepuff, and he’ll manage our budget to ensure we allocate resources appropriately. Our minute keeper is Penelope Clearwater from Ravenclaw, who’ll keep detailed notes of all of our meetings, and distribute them to staff and the Hogwarts Newspaper for reporting. Finally, our Events Coordinator is Eli Rosier from Slytherin, and he’s responsible for logistical planning for all events, including scheduling, set up and decor—he’s the person to approach if you’d like to be included in the creative side of event planning.”
Each member stood so that they could all know who was who, and they each nodded in thanks for the applause they were given.
Emmerson stood next to continue the speech. “Next, we’ll introduce Hogwarts Chronicle Newspaper’s Leadership team, who’ll work in conjunction with us to get all news out to the school and to organise the yearly student yearbook,” she explained. “Now, our yearly yearbook is the most time-consuming process we undertake each year. So, to keep to a tight, orderly timeline, we need a strong leadership team. This year’s H.C.N President is Amity Russo, who also manages the budget and coordination with faculty for approval before all publications. This year’s Head Designer is Miriam Estere, who’s responsible for approving all beginning layouts, articles and designs. And our Head Photographer this year is Apollo Artink, who’ll coordinate organising for headshots of all students, clubs and faculty throughout the year, beginning with us next fortnight when he’ll take a picture of this year’s U.C.S club,” Emmerson finished. “I’ll hand it over to Eli now, who’ll go through our events calendar for the year.”
“Thanks, Em,” Eli said, standing from his seat. “Our first event of the year is our Halloween Feast, which takes place on October 31st. It’s one of our staple, yearly traditions. I’m happy to take onboard any suggestions to make this year’s feast different than last.”
“Could we do a costume contest?” a fourth-year Gryffindor, Cecilia Forstner, suggested. “Perhaps we could have categories like ‘Best Magical Costume,’ ‘Most Creative Design,’ or… ‘Funniest Concept,’ that kind of thing.”
“That’s a brilliant idea,” Eli agreed easily, “Anyone else?”
A Slytherin second-year, Harry Watermen, said, “What about a haunted house of some kind? It’s a common Muggle tradition, it could be fun with enchantments and whatnot?”
“Oh! That sounds fun!” Eli oohed to himself, “I’ll need to talk to Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick to see if it’s something we could do, but it sounds like something possible.” They went around discussing changes they could make to the menu for the feast, perhaps serving pumpkin pasties that glowed in the dark, or licorice bats that flap before being eaten, before moving on to the next event. “The next large event we have is in May when we hold the Hogwarts Duelling Club Championship, hosted by Professor Flitwick annually and draws in a crowd of not only students and faculty but famed duellists and alumni of Hogwarts. Now, as usual, we have a student who commentates each match and the Hogwarts Band usually opens the Championship, but we need some ideas to keep the Championship fresh and exciting.”
“Perhaps some duels between professors?” Katie Bell, from Gryffindor, chimed in. “Imagine seeing Professor McGonagall and Flitwick duel!”
Finally, they ended the meeting by brainstorming themes for the three final and most important events of the year: the end-of-year dance, graduation ceremony, and Quidditch Presentation Ceremony. Themes like “Celestial Elegance,” “Enchanted Forest,” and “Masquerade of Magic” were suggested, though they would all need to be discussed more to see what fit best into the budget for the year, and what was most achievable and different compared to last year’s themes.
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On Saturday, Hermione had no plans except for the first student newspaper meeting that evening. Instead of exploring like she had last weekend, Hermione headed for the library around mid-day to complete some homework and to do some looking into ideas for each of the research projects for their classes. She had a while until she had to submit her ideas, but she wanted to get a head start so that she didn’t end up getting bogged down with homework and scrambling last minute for ideas.
She spent most of the day in the library before she headed for her first meeting for the student newspaper. It was the extracurricular she was most excited about, having found it rather fascinating that there was a student-led newspaper that had run for so long.
Hermione had always loved watching, listening or reading the news back at home, and learning about what was going on in the world. She found it inspirational that there were people in the world who dedicated their lives to sharing and getting news out to the world, often at risk to themselves—particularly in times of war or conflict.
The Hogwarts Chronicle Newspaper office was tucked away in a meeting room within the library, so Hermione only needed to go upstairs for the meeting. The space was brimming with the kind of magic that couldn’t be conjured by wands—an electric buzz of creativity and a shared love for their craft—and was much larger than Hermione could’ve imagined.
The main room was filled by a long oak table overlooked by three large windows that let in the sunlight that was fading earlier with each passing day. The opposite wall was lined floor-to-ceiling by the same bookshelves as the rest of the office and was laddened with books on all manners of subjects: journalism, wizarding law, magical history, art and more.
Two doors were set on each of the far walls. One led to another large room filled with enough desks for each of the members to sit and write at—some were already taken by plaques reading names, such as the president, but others were empty for new members—, and the walls were lined with even more bookshelves. The other door led to a narrow hallway with doors along it for each creative department. There was the photography and drawing room, with its own attached dark room to develop magical photographs; the newspaper archives, containing rows of filing cabinets, all labelled with years corresponding to the information stored inside; the design room, which was kept for beginning the process of determining the layout of each edition, and allowed ample space to do so for the design team; the large room dedicated to the process of magically printing out each edition; and finally, the storage room, where they kept all of the newly made editions in two sections, one for handing out to students, and another for anyone outside of Hogwarts who ordered one—this room even had a window for owls to fly directly into to retrieve their owner’s copy.
In the sort-of conference room, the numerous seats around the table were already filling up with students of all ages, finding seats and chatting in small groups. Unlike the rest of the castle—which seemed to make clear divides between houses—the newspaper seemed uncaring about house drama, and instead all mixed. Hermione let out an almost imperceptible exhale of relief that at least one part of the school seemed to maintain logic. However, where there seemed to not be a divide between houses, there was one of seniority: the president and other seemingly seasoned members of the Hogwarts Chronicle sat at one end, whilst the newer members, including Hermione, gravitated toward the other.
At the very head of the table sat Amity Russo, the President of the Hogwarts Chronicle. In her seventh year in Hufflepuff, and also a Prefect, she exuded a bubbly, but serious energy as she peered at notes and a stack of parchment in front of her while they waited for the meeting to begin. At precisely four-thirty, she tapped the table lightly with her wand, sending a cascade of sparks into the air that did well to silence them. “Welcome, everyone, to the first meeting of the Hogwarts Chronicle Newspaper! Whether you’re returning or joining us for the first time, I’m thrilled to see so many of you. This paper is our way of capturing the heart and soul of Hogwarts. We don’t just report, we inform, inspire and occasionally provoke a bit of mischief.” A few older students chuckled knowingly at this and Amity winked. “Now, let’s get down to business by introducing this year’s leadership team, as voted on last year. First of all, I’m the president for the second year in a row, which is an honour, and will hand over that responsibility to someone after graduation this year.”
She looked rather upset at the notion that she’d be graduating and leaving her role. “I’m responsible for maintaining our budget, overseeing all of our sessions, and coordinating with faculty and other clubs where necessary,” she explained, “This year’s Editor-in-Chief is Kaeden Lew—” the boy stood. He was a sixth-year Slytherin with dark hair and eyes, but what was most intriguing about him was the large, toothy smile on his face as he stood and waved at them all. “He’ll be in charge of editing and giving out the first round of approval for all articles—which must be approved by me afterwards, and occasionally a professor, for more serious articles. He’s the person to go to for all ideas and guidance on articles.
“Next, our Head Designer this year is Miriam Estere.” The girl in question was a fifth-year Ravenclaw student with fiery red, curly hair and the brightest green eyes Hermione had ever seen. “She’ll be in charge of the way the newspaper is physically presented—in other words, what articles go where, and the layout of each edition. She also coordinates with me and any brands or companies that would like to advertise in our newspaper.
“Our Head Photographer this year is Apollo Artink.” The boy was a fourth-year Ravenclaw with a mass of black curly hair that he constantly ran his fingers through as they assessed him. “He’s in charge of developing all photos and can usually be found in the dark room. He’ll also coordinate getting all headshots of students, staff, events and clubs. If you need his assistance, knock on the door thrice and wait for approval before entering as any sudden movements or too much light can damage the photos. Now that our leadership team is out of the way, I’m going to hand out these—” she held up a stack of parchment, “To our new members, which explains the roles of each of us who were already on the newspaper. Then, we’ll go around and have our new members introduce themselves and what interests them most about the newspaper so we know where you’re talents lie. Afterwards, we’ll begin discussing the first edition of the year.”
When the parchment reached Hermione, she read through the names, glad for all of the information it provided about each member’s role and importance to the Hogwarts Chronicle:
ARTICLES DEPARTMENT
Student Life at Hogwarts:
Amelia Hawthorne & Desmond Cresswell
‘Bramble’s Ramble’s’ — School Policies, Social Dynamics, and Hogwarts Controversies:
Lavina Bramble
‘Creeping Commentary’ — Humorous &
Satirical Articles:
Trevor Moss
Politics, Ethics & Activism — Worldwide & Within Hogwarts:
Felicia Stormwell
The Ministry of Magic & The Wizengamot — Current Events:
Basil Tirrell
ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT
Books, Art, Music & Media:
Tamsin Sousa & Evangeline “Evie” Raissa
Quidditch & Sports:
Felix Vilar
Fashion & Trends:
Poppy Mitchell
Events and Magical Moments:
Lysandra Whitlock
Magical Marvels:
Ophelia Windmere
Student Clubs & Societies Reporter:
Theo Merryweather
Magical Creatures Writer:
Juniper “Juni” Wallace
Horoscopes and Magical Matchmaking:
Sylvia Becker
Magical Travel & Locations Reporter:
Helvins Travers
Crossword, Riddle and Puzzle Designer:
Nina Hawkins
PHOTOGRAPHY DEPARTMENT
Head Photographer:
Apollo Artink
Action Photographer:
Hugo Thatcher
Candid & Artistic Photographer:
Mina Fleetfoot
DESIGN DEPARTMENT
Head Designer:
Miriam Estere
Newspaper Enchanter:
Quentin Soto
Illustrators & Drawers:
Beatrix Halloway & Clover Stenberg
Printing Team:
Percival Thistledown, Martina Nasrin, Ricardo Vasco
Export Team:
Magnolia Driftwood, Orla Ahonen, Katarina Benson
Archivist & Historical Researcher:
Otto Pinchley
LEADERSHIP TEAM
President:
Amity Russo
Editor-in-Chief:
Kaeden Lew
Staff Liason:
Minerva McGonagall
EMPTY ROLES:
Student Voice Coordinator:
Manages submissions for the “Student Voices” section, which allows peers to share their art, opinions, stories and pieces.
Advice Columnist:
Answers anonymous student letters seeking guidance on personal, academic or magical dilemmas.
Secret Keeper:
Collects anonymous confessions from students to publish in a humorous and thought-provoking feature,
Muggle Events Reporter:
Reports events and inventions in the Muggle world.
Outreach Coordinator:
Builds connections with Hogwarts clubs, teachers, and the wider wizarding community to secure interviews and collaborative projects.
*The Hogwarts Chronicle also has roles open indefinitely for each department for any members who wish to change roles.
Once that was over, the new members all went around introducing themselves, of which there were ten new students from all houses and years, before Amity stood once more. “Now, let’s get down to business. We send out our first edition of the year on the first day of each month, with the first being sent out on the first of October. Editions must be finalised three days before so that the Printing and Export Teams have time to get everything organised. The days leading up to so can be pretty… chaotic to say the least, particularly the first of the year while new members get the lay of the land. But it’s a great learning opportunity and allows us to work out the kinks we come across. Now, we have articles and columns that are frequent, so those are much easier to work with as they’re expected. It’s the current events and whatnot that bring us the most trouble. Today, we’re going to brainstorm some ideas for our first issue. Don’t be shy—every idea has merit. Let’s hear it.”
Felix Vilar, a Gryffindor sixth-year boy, who was the reporter for all sporting events at Hogwarts and the wider wizarding world, raised his hand. “Well, Quidditch tryouts are on this weekend. I’ll be attending to get some preliminary information on standout players, each captain’s leadership, and teams to watch out for next year. And then of course the actual teams will be announced the following day once each Head of House has given their approval, so I’ll be able to begin writing an article on that. Additionally, the Quidditch Skirmish Club is mid-day tomorrow so I’ll be attending that, too, with Hugo to get some action shots for an article on this year’s players, and any first years to watch out for for tryouts next year.”
“That’s brilliant,” Amity praised, jotting down notes for each potential article Felix mentioned. “And once Madam Hooch finalises the Quidditch schedule for this year, we’ll be able to pencil in what issue they’ll be in, which will be good to lock in. Have you started looking into the professional Quidditch teams yet?”
“I’ve been speaking with Louisa Cheshire—she’s the British Quidditch Correspondent this year—about getting some insider information, and organising how I can get access to the games in the country this year,” he responded, “McGonagall’s assisting with that, because I need approval from Dumbledore and the Ministry to leave the castle for games. Of course, I can’t leave the country, but we’re discussing how to go about that.”
“Great work as always, Felix,” Amity grinned. “Keep me updated with that and I can assist if needed. Any other ideas from anyone else?”
Amelia Hawthorne, a Slytherin sixth-year with sleek black hair and eyes, suggested, “There have been a few updates to the rulebook this year—particularly since the Weasley twins set up that swamp at the end of last term—so I’ll be writing a small piece about any updates to make it easier for students to know the changes.”
“We’re also keeping track of any information from the Ministry about the O.W.L and N.E.W.T schedules for this year so that we can students updated as soon as information comes out, but the Department of Magical Education hasn’t set anything in stone yet,” Desmond Cresswell added, “For now I suggest some study or organisational tips to keep students on track?”
“I’ll keep note of all of those ideas under student life, and I’ll check in with you both for any new updates or ideas,” Amity said, “For now, perhaps we could look into an article about the new first years and what their first weeks in Hogwarts have been like?”
“Oh! We could do a piece on how some of the Muggleborn students are adjusting to the magical world—you know, what their reaction was to finding out they were magical, their first impression of Diagon Alley, that sort of thing,” Amelia chimed in.
“I like that! It could be helpful for others to understand what it’s like to step into the magical world,” Amity agreed.
An idea struck Hermione and her hand shot up, surprising even herself with the speed at which she did so. “What about a piece on the information pureblood or half-blood students think Muggleborn students should know? Sort of like an easy how-to when stepping into the magical world—the best shops, fashions, music, books, etcetera.”
The room quieted for a moment as they considered her idea, and Amity’s face lit up. “Yes! Yes, I love that idea,” she said eagerly, “Hermione, right?” Hermione nodded, her cheeks flushing at the attention. “Amelia, why don’t you team up with Hermione and help each other out with each article and see what you can come up with.” Hermione and Amelia exchanged nods of understanding.
“What about that sighting near the Forbbiden Forest last week—I heard it was a Snidget!” Beatrix Halloway suggested.
Juniper Wallace, the Magical Creatures Reporter, rolled her eyes playfully. “Bea, Snidgets are extinct—they haven’t been seen in over a hundred years. It’s probably just a story to keep us away from the forest, but it’s a fun rumour. But maybe we could turn it into a piece on magical creature conservation and what led to Snidgets becoming extinct?”
Amity nodded. “I like that. Perhaps you could collaborate with Beatrix and have her draw up some illustrations to go along with whatever article you produce?”
They went around exchanging more ideas: Hogwarts alumni who’d achieved fame, Hogsmeade’s latest sweets, Diagon Alley’s newest shops, and more. The meeting wrapped at almost six-thirty, with them needing to head to dinner.
They all began packing up their various notes, with Amity showing them all to a desk that would be their own until they decided on a department they wanted to be a part of—which they would need to decide on after the first edition had been done and they got a good sense of what each department did.
Amelia approached Hermione, wearing a friendly smile that lightened her dark hair and eyes. “Hi, Hermione. I’m Amelia, I’m in my fourth year. You’re a firstie, right? I think I’ve heard some other Slytherins mention you.”
“Yes, I am. It’s nice to meet you,” Hermione responded. “Do you have any ideas about where we should start with the articles?”
“Well, I think we should start by collating some questions that we think would be interesting, and then we can interview students for each article. Afterwards, we can go through each response and see what we’d like to use.”
“Maybe we could even question the Professors about what it was like when they first went to Hogwarts, and compare their experiences with recent ones to look at changes and similarities in experience?”
Amelia’s eyes lit up. “That’s brilliant! It would make for some differentiation in responses,” she responded. “How about we meet here after dinner tomorrow? We can start drafting up some interview questions and outline some ideas for the article. It’ll be good for me to show you the agreement each student and Professor has to sign for us to include their responses—it protects the newspaper from being sued.”
Hermione took a moment to think about her schedule before nodding. “Tomorrow works perfectly. I could maybe ask some of the students in my year if they’d be open to being interviewed. I don’t think my friends will mind.”
“Sure. I can speak to anyone you don’t feel comfortable asking if you’d like, I know what some of the students can be like—especially the snooty purebloods.”
“I’ll have a go at asking first—after all, I wouldn’t be much of a potential writer if I didn’t have the guts to do the work—and we can go from there,” Hermione said, “But thanks for the offer.”
They walked to dinner together, continuing to discuss potential angles for the article, and separated into their different friend groups once they arrived at the Slytherin table.
“Hey,” Adeline greeted, “Who’s that?”
Hermione spent dinner explaining to her friends what the meeting had been like, and by the end, they’d all agreed to be interviewed and were eager to read Hermione’s first article when—or rather, if, Hermione reminded herself, not wanting to get too excited only to get her hopes up—it was published.